Not Alone
by MomentarySetback
Summary: He'd told her she wasn't alone, and that was a promise he intended to keep – whatever the consequences. / Picks up after the end of the series (end of season 10) and follows what could've happened with Eric and Calleigh.
1. Different Now

Note: Well, here's to the start of another story. :) The end of the series was pretty disappointing in terms of the Eric and Calleigh storyline, so I'd always wanted to see it through. Picks up just after the end of season 10/just after Calleigh adopts the North kids.

Note #2: I didn't remember them ever mentioning Austin's sister's name on the show, so I made one up for her.

* * *

Eric could hear nothing but the blaring, rhythmic music from his headphones as he ran through the path along Miami Shores park, could feel nothing but the pavement beneath his shoes, the sweat dripping down his skin, and a slight breeze from the ocean providing just a bit of reprieve from the sun. This was how he liked it when he ran: no thoughts or feelings, just loud music and being completely in tune with every slap of his feet against the pavement.

He was so deeply in his near-meditative state that he almost didn't see her. It was the flash of blonde he noticed first, then her smile, both so bright against the green hill and blue blanket she was sitting on. She looked like she'd come straight from his wildest but most innocent dreams, all dressed down with a white smock top on and jean shorts that showed off her soft but toned legs. The real kicker, though, was her sitting next to that little girl, leaning in and pointing out something in the book they were reading that made Claire smile, both their hair swept into braids – Calleigh's loosely at the side, Claire's into two perfect french braids.

Eric had a rule that he didn't stop when he was running. It was a normal rule. You might wave to an acquaintance, might even manage a "hey" if you weren't pushing the pace and still had your breath. But you didn't stop and talk. Especially not when you were planning to best your current 6-mile time.

And yet he found himself pressing the pause button on his GPS running watch and easing into a walk. As he pulled the buds from his ears and approached them, she looked up and another broad smile spread across her lips.

For the first time in a long time, they hadn't seen each other in days. She'd taken the week off to help with the transition, getting rooms set up, school registrations completed, and just spending time with the two of them.

"Eric, hey."

"Hey." His eyes danced between the two of them and he couldn't help but chuckle a little as Claire's expression immediately changed, her brows furrowing a little as she shyly leaned into Calleigh.

Calleigh laid her hand on Claire's back encouragingly. "Do you remember Eric? You met him a long time ago when we were helping your dad."

Claire glanced at Eric only briefly, quickly turning back to Calleigh as soon as their eyes met. She looked up at her, clearly concerned about this person she didn't trust and silently begging Calleigh to not make her talk.

"Yeah, she didn't want to talk to me then either," Eric said playfully. "Which is a shame because I'm pretty fun to talk to..."

"He is," Calleigh agreed, but Claire was either completely unconvinced or completely uninterested, if not both. "Eric's my really good...friend." Calleigh pursed her lips together at that, meeting Eric's eyes knowingly. It might have been a bit of an understatement, but that's what they were now. Friends.

Eric ran his tongue along the inside of his bottom lip, trying not to smile.

"Claire, why don't you do the next chapter on your own while I talk to Eric for a minute?" Calleigh asked softly. Claire's lips tightened into a complicit smile, answering silently as she pulled the book into her lap, wrapped her arms around her little body, and hovered over the pages.

Calleigh ran a hand along Claire's back encouragingly before she pushed herself up, taking a few steps down the hill until she'd joined Eric.

"How's it going?" he asked now that they had a little more privacy.

"It's really good," Calleigh said, again smiling brighter and different than he'd ever seen her. "She's _so_ shy around new people though," she added softly, hazarding a concerned glance back at Claire she was glad she didn't notice. "She just totally shuts down."

"Not with you," Eric noted, an amused smile creeping across his lips. "She's pretty attached to you."

"Yeah, but she knows me."

"She's been like that with you from the beginning though," he reminded her.

He could remember it like it was yesterday. While Calleigh had talked to Austin, he'd tried with Claire, barely getting her to look at him let alone utter a word. He'd actually been a little offended because kids were kind of his thing. His nieces and nephews loved him, and he could usually get through to the most shut down and terrified kids on the job. But Claire had wanted nothing to do with him, so Calleigh had taken a shot. And he'd watched with awe – discreetly, because Claire kept glancing at him in the hall skeptically – as Calleigh sat down next to her, not across from her like it was an interrogation and not demanding eye contact (probably his first mistake), said something about the butterflies on her dress, and then silently grabbed a piece of paper to draw a pretty impressive butterfly.

Claire had actually smiled and pulled the paper towards her. "Can I keep it?" Claire had asked softly, finally speaking for the first time at the station.

"Of course, it's for you," Calleigh had said. And just like that she'd cracked her open.

"She's been through a lot, she'll open up with time," Eric assured, because he was certain that little girl was in the best place she possibly could be now. Calleigh smiled gratefully, and despite a million reasons why she shouldn't, her eyes fell to his chest, taking in the muscles that peeked out from beneath his tank top, the sheen of sweat covering his skin. His gaze was preoccupied with appreciatively taking in her near-makeupless face, the bright green of her eyes his undoing as always.

"What brings you out of the bay on a Saturday?" he asked, needing to fill the silence before his eyes and heart got him in trouble.

"Austin has tennis here on Saturdays," she said, nodding to the courts in front of them. She glanced back to check on Claire before she fixed her gaze on Austin. "He's actually pretty good. I may be biased already though." She smiled again, slipping her hands into the back pockets of her shorts.

"Maybe. Or maybe you've got the next Roger Federer on your hands." He smiled, then glancing back at Claire. "I should let you get back to her – and I should get back to my run."

"Yeah, of course," she said, glancing at his watch. "Sorry to interrupt."

"You didn't," he assured, holding her gaze. "You did distract me though." He grinned, eyes pointedly dragging over her. Flirting. He was flirting. They never could help it.

"Well then I'm not sorry." She smiled playfully, too. "Hey, you want to come have dinner with us tonight?"

At his immediate hesitance, she clarified, "Just dinner."

And then she pressed her lips together, remembering all the other times they'd agreed to have _just_ dinner or just coffee or just one drink, and yet each time had ended the same. There was the time he'd made her dinner, which had taken a quick and sudden turn to having his way with her on his kitchen table. And then there was the time she'd more innocently invited him over for coffee – less of a commitment there – and yet they'd ended up naked and panting on her couch. That time had been all her. The more recent time they'd actually made it to a bed. A group happy hour had led to a shared cab home and despite quickly and desperately making their way to her bedroom, it was like the alcohol had dulled their guards as well as their inhibitions; repressed feelings and emotions had bubbled to the surface and they'd slowly undressed one another. He'd taken his time with her then, bringing her over the edge twice before their bodies had even joined.

It went without saying that things were different now.

Still, he had his reservations. "I don't want to intrude on your time with them right now," he began, chancing a glance at Claire who was thankfully too caught up in her book to eye him skeptically right now. "Or make her uncomfortable in her new home."

"That's sweet," Calleigh said with a smile. "But we've been together all week, and she's gotta get used to other people." He still looked unsure, so she added, "I'll check with them first. And besides, you should get to know them because I may seriously take you up on that offer to help someday…"

"I hope you do," he assured. "'Cause I was serious. You're definitely not alone."

"I know." She smiled gratefully, touching his arm. "Get back to your run. I'll text you about dinner."

With that, they parted ways and he slipped his headphone buds back into his ears. He picked up his pace to a jog again, trying to get back in the groove, but he still couldn't take his eyes off her. As he continued down the path he'd originally been on, he watched as she parked herself back down next to Claire. That smile he could never get out of the little girl spread so easily across her features at Calleigh's arrival, and she excitedly pointed out something in her book. Just before he followed the curved path around the hill and out of view, Calleigh's eyes met his, smiling from afar at the way he was looking at her.


	2. Resolve

_Note: It's been a crazy week for me, but there were so many reviews I was extra motivated to find a few spare minutes to post this. :) Thank you all so much for reading! It means a ton to me. I still have one more chapter already written that I'll try to look over and post sometime soon!_

* * *

The doorbell rang just as Calleigh was pouring the pot of boiling lasagna noodles into a colander, the water hissing as it hit the sink.

"Austin, can you let Eric in?" she called out.

From the door, Eric heard the sound of a kid stomping through the house – a completely new but welcoming addition to Calleigh's house. A moment later Austin peeked through the window, checking who was there before he opened up the door.

"Officer Delko!" Austin said excitedly as he let him in.

"Hey," he greeted, chuckling at the warm welcome. At least one of the kids was excited to see him. "You can call me Eric."

"Okay. Eric." Austin smiled as he tested it out.

"I think you've grown a foot since I last saw you," Eric said, emphatically putting his hand over the adorable mop of hair Austin was still sporting. "How's it going?"

"Awesome," he answered enthusiastically as they wandered through the hall. "I like it here. Calleigh said she saw you at the park. Did you see me play?!"

"I did." Eric chuckled as he struggled to keep up, Austin's ten-year-old mind seemingly going a mile a minute. "You looked pretty good. When you going pro?"

Austin shrugged. "Maybe after college," he answered casually.

They reached the kitchen, where Claire was coloring at the table and Calleigh was beginning to spread layers of delicious looking sauce, noodles, and cheese into a large pan. She took a break to greet him with a smile, sucking a splattering of sauce from her thumb before she closed the distance between them. Wrapping an arm around his shoulders, she pulled him into a loose hug, keeping her apron-clad body from his in case she'd managed to get tomato sauce elsewhere.

"What's in the bag?" Calleigh asked, nodding to the tote bag in his hand.

"Uh, wine for us," Eric began, pulling out a bottle and setting it on the counter, which drew an "ooh" from Calleigh. "And coquitos for everyone," he finished, setting them next to the wine.

"What are they?" Austin asked, eyeing what looked like potentially delicious confections through the partially translucent decorative tin.

Emotions stirred behind Calleigh's eyes and muted smile at the sight of that tin, which she knew to be his mother's, gracing her counter again. Back when they were consistently a thing, Eric had brought some home after spending a day with family, reaping the benefits of his mother and nieces and nephews making a mess of the kitchen all afternoon. They'd had a date that night, and Calleigh had fallen in love with the coconut cookies. He'd mentioned it to his mom soon after, and although he hadn't yet brought her home to his family - her choice, by far - his mother had begun sending him off with a container of the sugary delights just for her.

It had to be coincidental this time, but still...the sight of them stirred up a little more in her than she would've liked.

"They're Cuban coconut sugar cookies," Calleigh explained, meeting Eric's eyes as a sad smile passed over her features.

It was quickly overshadowed by both of them noticing that Claire's head had perked right up at the mention of cookies. As soon as Eric's eyes landed on her, she looked back down at her paper, but Eric shrugged hopefully as he glanced back at Calleigh. It was a start. And he wasn't against bribery to get this kid to like him.

"Need help with anything?" he asked.

"No, I think I'm good. Just make yourself at home."

"Is your family from Cuba?" Austin asked, following Eric's lead and taking a seat at the table.

Despite the fact that Eric had purposely sat as far away from Claire as possible, she took that moment to hop off her chair and seek out Calleigh.

"They are." Eric smiled at his interest. "I was actually born there."

"Cool." And then, in a whisper, he added, "Don't worry about my sister. She's just shy. She doesn't like new people."

"I can tell," Eric said, discreetly watching the way Calleigh quietly talked to Claire and drew a nod from her. Claire crossed to the other side of the kitchen, washing her hands before she grabbed a stepstool from the pantry, set it next to Calleigh, and climbed atop until she could reach the counter. Clearly they had a routine here already. Calleigh gave her a demo and then handed her the spoon, a smile curving over Claire's lips as she covered the most recent layer with as much sauce and cheese as she wanted.

Directing his attention back to Austin, Eric asked, "How long before I'm not new anymore?"

Austin shrugged. "A couple weeks maybe. Why'd your family leave Cuba?"

Calleigh listened in as Eric told part of his family's story, somehow perfectly managing to describe political oppression to a ten-year-old. Thankfully, by the time the lasagna was in the oven, their conversation had shifted to something much lighter: basketball, which Calleigh was slowly realizing she should sign Austin up for, too, because he was obsessed with it. Given that Eric had played in high school and still caught a pick-up game with friends fairly often, she wasn't surprised they'd stumbled on the topic. She was a little surprised, though, when Eric offered to give Austin a few pointers some time – if Calleigh was okay with it, which she was. She was also tuned in to the kids enough to notice Claire had been following their conversation, her eyes betraying her wariness of Eric long enough to dance over him with interest.

Once they'd sat down to dinner, Austin had shifted to asking Eric all the standard cop questions he'd asked Calleigh their first day together. _How many bad guys do you catch a week? Have you ever had to shoot someone? Can I see your badge? Can I ride in your car and turn the sirens on?_

Claire was expectedly quiet until she'd tapped Calleigh's leg and pointedly directed her gaze on the salad dressing at the other end of the table – on the other side of Eric. Calleigh suggested she ask Eric to pass it to her, but Claire showed off her stubborn streak instead, pushing off the chair and walking around the table to grab it for herself rather than speak in front of a near-stranger. Although Calleigh could tell Eric was adorably hurt by her seven-year-old's disdain for him, they were both swallowing back smiles at her obstinate shyness and creative problem-solving.

They almost had a breakthrough when the cookies came out. The moment the sugary coconut hit Claire's tastebuds her eyes lit up and she leaned forward, reaching for another before she'd even finished very much of the first. As the second hit her lips, her eyes landed on Eric and Calleigh practically watched the gears turning in her mind, battling between her mistrust of him and the fact that he'd supplied her with rather delicious cookies. But Calleigh had sighed softly when it hadn't amounted to anything other than silent contemplation – and another cookie.

/~/

Dishes cleaned and kids ready for bed, the four of them had settled in to watch a kid-friendly movie. Despite Calleigh's insistence that he didn't have to stay and that it would be very boring, the promise of a second glass of wine and time to catch up with her after the kids went to bed had been too alluring. He hadn't minded anyway, although the dangerous way his chest tightened at the sight of her with those kids had him questioning his choice – and his sanity.

They'd fallen asleep even earlier than she'd thought, Claire curled between Calleigh and the end of the couch, her head on Calleigh's arm, her hand draped over Calleigh's forearm. Austin, older and more independent by nature, had still fallen asleep right next to them, his head on a throw pillow alongside Calleigh's tucked-in legs.

From his vantage point on the loveseat adjacent to them, Eric couldn't help but stare a little. She caught him the second time, a little smile curving over her lips as she realized neither of them were particularly invested in The Incredibles flickering across her screen. Leaning forward enough to see Austin's sleeping face, she decided, "I'm gonna get them to bed."

Eric shifted a little, not wanting to overstep but knowing she had her hands full with two passed out kids. "You want some help?"

"Nah, I got it," she assured, already placing a gentle hand on Austin's back to begin to wake him. He was old enough to get himself to bed, and this was one of those things she needed to do on her own. "This has already happened twice this week. I'll be back in a few."

"Austin," she whispered softly, rubbing his back to slowly stir him from sleep. She had to call his name another time or two, but eventually his eyes fluttered open. "Hey buddy, let's get you to bed."

Brows furrowing in confusion, Austin slowly sat up and rubbed at his eyes. "Butwedidn'tfinishthemovie," he mumbled, slurring it together a little in his half-asleep state.

Calleigh smiled, wrapping a hand around his shoulder as she told him, "We'll finish it tomorrow. Say goodnight to Eric."

Austin smiled as though suddenly remembering they weren't alone, dropping his hand into his lap now that his eyes were clear. "'Night, Eric. Are you sleeping here? Can we play basketball tomorrow?"

Eric chuckled at his enthusiasm, but mostly at his first question. "No, I'm about to go home. I'll talk to Calleigh about when we can play, though. Goodnight."

Eric's eyes drifted back to Calleigh, whose arms had slipped under Claire's to hoist her into her lap. Although her seven-year-old body was nearly half Calleigh's size, she could still fit, and in her sleep-induced state she wrapped her arms around Calleigh's neck, straddling her as her body slumped against Calleigh's and she tucked her head into the crook of her neck.

With an ease that surprised Eric, Calleigh stood with her, wrestling an arm free to lead Austin out of the living room with a hand on his back. She climbed the stairs a little more slowly than she would on her own, one hand under Claire's thighs, one now returned to her back to hold her against her chest. They entered Austin's room first, Calleigh waiting while he crawled into bed and pulled the covers up. His eyes were drooping sleepily again within moments, and Calleigh freed an arm to slide the bedding further over his chest – arms out, just the way he liked.

"Goodnight, bud," she said softly, laying her hand over his chest.

"Goodnight," he said back, smiling at her in the dim light just before she flicked his bedside lamp off.

She quietly made her way into Claire's room, peeling back the covers before carefully laying her down. Despite her carefulness, Claire stirred at the movement and loss of contact, blue eyes fluttering open as Calleigh was pulling the covers over her.

"Go back to sleep," Calleigh urged, pushing strands of brown that had escaped her braids out of her face and behind her ear. Claire's lips curved into a tired smile in response, but her brows soon furrowed and a sigh much too heavy for her small body slipped from her lungs. Something was weighing on her.

"What is it, sweetie?"

"Are we really staying here with you?" she asked, like it was too good to be true, like they were just going to get shuffled around again like they had for the past several years.

"Of course," Calleigh assured, her fingers soothingly smoothing over Claire's hair. And then, remembering her own promise to herself to be honest and open with these kids, she added, "Over the next few months, some people will come visit to check on us. It's their job to make sure kids are happy and safe in their new homes, so as long as you like it here I'm sure they'll see that."

"I _love_ it here," Claire corrected, and if Calleigh hadn't known it was biologically impossible for a heart to grow, she would've sworn hers had just swelled three times its size.

"Well I love having you here," Calleigh echoed, eliciting a soft giggle from her as she tickled her side.

But Claire's brows soon furrowed with another question and Calleigh waited expectantly. Much too seriously, Claire asked, "Can you tell your friend Eric thank you for the cookies?"

Calleigh grinned, once again completely in awe of these kids. "I can tell him, but you know you can tell him yourself, right?"

A nervous smile crept across Claire's lips as she shrugged her shoulders, shyly tucking her chin against one.

"You don't have to talk to him until you're ready," Calleigh promised. "But you know what? He's really nice and really good to talk to. I talk to him about everything."

"And he brings cookies," Claire added with a smile.

"Yeah, that too." Calleigh had an amused smile on her lips as she tucked Claire's covers in against her sides. Although she'd just taken these kids in and they had no genetic relation, she and Claire obviously had a few things in common. "How about you get some sleep now?" she asked, watching the little girl's eyes blink sleepily.

Claire nodded, reaching to retrieve her bunny from the corner and tucking it under one arm.

"Goodnight, sweetie," Calleigh said, leaning down to press her lips to Claire's forehead.

"Goodnight," Claire replied softly, her closed eyes and relaxed smile the last thing Calleigh saw before she flicked out the light. As she left the room and closed the door behind her, she had to take in a deep breath and close her own eyes for a moment to calm her emotions, feeling silly for the tears welling in her eyes.

When she returned to her living room, she was a little too in love with the sight that greeted her: Eric waiting for her on the couch with two full glasses of wine already poured and awaiting her, the remainder of the bottle sitting on the coffee table.

"Hey," she said softly, slowing her stride as she entered the room. This was a little too familiar, and yet everything was different. There were little shoes in the hallway now, a pile of kids' books at the corner of her coffee table, and two adorable children sleeping soundly upstairs that she'd made a lot of promises to herself over.

And so she sighed a little as she took a seat across from him at the other end of the couch, gratefully accepting the glass of wine he handed her.

He watched as she tucked a leg in, resting her free arm along the top of the cushion and resting her head in her hand. Something was a little off; it was in the way she didn't make eye contact right away and the distance in her eyes.

"You good?" he asked with more than a hint of concern.

"Yeah." She smiled knowingly, coming back to him. A little of the emotions that had overwhelmed her still lingered, and he knew her well enough to sense it. But she didn't want to get into that right now, so she cleared her throat a little, meeting his eyes with amusement. "Claire says thank you for the cookies."

He chuckled, mirroring Calleigh's position as he tucked a leg in and turned towards her. "So she does speak."

"Oh yeah." Calleigh shot him a look after she'd finished taking a sip of wine. "She doesn't stop once you get her going."

Eric seemed equal parts disbelieving and still hurt by the rejection. "I can't believe your kid doesn't like me."

"Give her time. She's barely said a word to her teacher yet. She'll warm up to you," Calleigh assured, eyes absentmindedly drifting over the coffee table as she pieced her thoughts together. "I don't think she's had a lot of trustworthy people in her life, especially men. I mean you saw what her dad was like...and who knows what else they were exposed to with all the guys her father got wrapped up with."

Calleigh sighed, eyes heavy with emotion again. She was both comforted and overwhelmed by giving these kids a safe, calm home after everything they'd been through.

As though reading her thoughts, Eric began, "What you're doing for them is amazing, Cal. And you're really good at it."

"Thanks. They're making it easy so far. They're really good kids." She bit her lip, swirling her glass around before taking another sip. "I hope it's worth putting them through another transition. I worry about Claire a little."

He wanted to find her hand with his and squeeze it reassuringly before threading his fingers with her, but he absolutely didn't trust himself to touch her, so he assured her with just words instead. "It is," he promised. "One more change for permanent home with someone who's going to give them undivided love and attention? Those kids hit the jackpot."

She smiled back at him gratefully.

"Not to mention I'm pretty sure the schools in Bal Harbour are infinitely better than Carol City. And I didn't see Claire with her foster mom, but she's pretty attached to you… Seems like she's in the best place for her to build some confidence in people again."

"Hopefully," Calleigh said, catching Eric's gaze just before he averted it, hiding a smile as he took a long drag of wine. His eyes had been dancing over her with a little too much affection, the combination of her usual charms coupled with her caring for those kids creating a rather dangerous situation for him. "What?" she asked, although she was a little afraid to. She'd seen that smile before, and it was trouble for her.

"Nothing," he lied, and it was so obvious that she gave him a look. She wasn't letting it go, despite wondering if she should. He looked down under the weight of her inquisitive stare, but that wasn't helpful either because his eyes just found the creamy skin of her legs, revealed by those jean shorts. "I just like seeing you like this," he admitted, his eyes pointedly drifting over the kids' books and jackets in the room. She knew what he meant immediately, but he continued. "With them. It's very...attractive."

"Oh." She laughed a little and looked off to the side, the red that flushed her cheeks having nothing to do with the wine although she'd have blamed it on that. Clearly her suddenly tight throat, she said, "You did always want kids…"

She met his eyes again and immediately regretted it, because there was an intensity there so deep it made her swallow hard again. "Yeah…" he said softly, the weight of unanswered questions and unmade decisions dancing between them. It was one of the things they'd never been able to settle on. He wanted as many babies as he could convince his partner to have, and she hadn't been so sure. Even then, she'd been thinking about all the kids she'd watched enter the system over the course of her career, wishing she could do more but not being quite ready to take that leap.

"So I should go," he concluded a little awkwardly, trusting himself less and less to hold himself to the unspoken promise that clung between them: things were different now, and absolutely nothing could happen between them tonight.

"Uh huh," she agreed, steadily losing her own resolve as her eyes danced over his face, and then his shoulders, taking in the way the casual t-shirt contoured the muscles there.

He finished the last remaining taste of wine in his glass and stood, trying to ignore the little slip of white lace visible on her shoulder where her top had shifted to the side. Following her to the door, he grabbed his wallet and keys from the hall table, watching her open the door for him.

"Thanks for dinner," he said, a bit of formality settling between them amidst the tension. "I'll have to have you guys over some time, maybe when Claire actually talks to me."

"I'd like that, and I'm sure they would, too." Calleigh smiled. "And thanks for the cookies," she added, although it stirred up those old memories again for both of them. Eyes locking, she leaned into the door, a heavy breath leaving her body as they became stuck again in silent tension.

Eric cleared his throat this time. "I can take Austin to play basketball tomorrow, if it's okay with you."

Her eyes softened on him immediately, because while she knew he'd definitely make good on his offer, she hadn't expected it to be as high up on his list of priorities as it was on Austin's. "Of course."

"I'll text you tomorrow?"

She nodded, resting her head against the door as a grateful smile spread across her lips. "Goodnight, Eric."

"Goodnight."

It took every ounce of self control to not touch her hip or brush his fingers over her cheek as he walked past her, but he made it, the wellbeing of those kids proving to be a pretty potent dose of resolve. She smiled like she knew because she did, her own fingertips aching to fist his t-shirt into her hand and pull him close.

And once he'd left, she found herself overwhelmed with emotion for what felt like the hundredth time that night. Leaning against the closed door and tilting her head back, she took in her now eerily quiet living room and hallway: his empty wine glass, touches of kids' belongings scattered throughout her rooms. She shook her head and smiled, a touch of longing coursing through her veins despite feeling almost wholly at peace.


	3. A Dangerous Combination

_Note: Thank you all so much for the reviews again! With this show being over so long ago, it's so nice to know people are still around reading and interested. I've already started on the next chapter, so hopefully it won't be too long until the next update again. :)_

* * *

It had been a long time since Calleigh had thought about why eight times three equals 24. It was one thing to know it, but a completely different beast trying to explain it to a seven-year-old. That was what she was currently trying to do, though, as she and Claire had math homework and blueberries to count with – and eat – spread out over the kitchen table.

Claire already had a bunch of them memorized, and had blown Calleigh's mind by teaching her a few new tricks she'd never heard of, but she kept asking _why_ and _how._

"So if I want eight blueberries, and you want eight blueberries, it's eight times two," Calleigh began to explain. "Which is the same as eight plus eight, right?"

Claire nodded. "16!"

"Right." Calleigh smiled. "But if Austin wants eight blueberries, too…"

"Eight times three, 'cause there's three of us?"

"Exactly," Calleigh confirmed, counting out another eight blueberries into a pile. "Or eight plus eight plus eight. But it's quicker to multiply than to add, especially with bigger numbers."

Claire paused for a moment, thinking about it as she looked at the piles and then glanced at her times tables. "24?"

"Yep." Just then, through the view from her large bay window in front of the table, two figures in the distance at the top of the cul-de-sac caught Calleigh's attention: Eric, with a basketball tucked under one arm and a smile on his face as he watched Austin next to him practicing his crossover dribble. The smile that spread across her lips was immediate. The two of them had walked to the nearest basketball court a few hours ago, and although she more than trusted Eric with literally everything, including these kids, she'd had this little bundle of nerves in the pit of her stomach – more because whatever relationship was budding between Eric and Austin was pretty incredible to watch and she wanted it to keep going well. Despite how overwhelming and confusing it was for her own heart, it was completely simple to Austin and he desperately needed as many positive influences in his life as he could get right now after everything he'd been through.

When she glanced back at Claire, she realized Claire had followed her gaze. Claire bit at the inside of her cheek in thought as she tilted her head and watched them. "Does Eric like blueberries?" she asked as she popped one into her mouth.

"You know," Calleigh began thoughtfully, running through their years of on and off dating plus another eight or so of friendship, "I don't know. You could ask him."

Claire pressed her lips together at that, not quite ready. "Well, if Eric wanted eight blueberries, too, we would need 32 blueberries because there would be four of us."

Calleigh was stuck on her innocent yet unintentionally loaded wording as she looked at her in awe. _There would be four of us._

"Yeah," she finally said softly, a little regretful smile on her lips. "That's right."

As the front door opened, the hallway was quickly filled with Austin's signature heavy, hurried steps followed by the soft, hesitant close of the storm door. Calleigh looked up just as Austin entered the kitchen, still passing the basketball back and forth between his hands.

"Hey, how was basketball?" Calleigh asked with a smile.

Austin's eyes lit up before he'd even started talking. "It was awesome. We had a whole court to ourselves for a while and Eric taught me how to crossover and shoot better." He looked back at Eric, who was much more hesitantly making his way in.

Austin had strolled right in because he lived here, but especially after all his time here _not_ knocking, Eric kept feeling like he needed the little reminders that things were different now. He wasn't going to find her and let his fingers brush through her hair on their way to her hip. He wasn't going to remove his sweaty clothing layer by layer as he made his way to use her shower without a second thought. And so he also wasn't going to just stroll right into her house unannounced, even though he still had a key she'd never asked to have back though he was pretty sure she was completely aware of it. Calleigh didn't lose track of things like that.

"Hey," she greeted him in a very different voice, with a very different smile.

"Hey. Hi Claire," Eric also greeted, feeling her eyes on him, and although she still didn't verbally acknowledge him, he thought he at least saw her lips straighten a little into some sort of recognition. He smiled, a little sheepish as he leaned against the doorway to Calleigh's kitchen, feeling like he was intruding even though he could tell by her demeanor that he wasn't at all.

"Eric's really good," Austin continued, completely oblivious although Claire's eyes were observantly dancing between Calleigh and Eric.. "Oh, and a kid from my school showed up with his dad and we played with them a little, and they invited us to play with a group every Wednesday and Eric said we could as long as you said yes," he rattled off excitedly, looking at her hopefully from beneath his mop of sweaty, curly hair.

"I said we would talk to Calleigh about it," Eric corrected a little, an amused smirk tugging at one corner of his lips.

"We'll talk about it," Calleigh promised with a little laugh. Austin looked between them expectantly, clearing wanting to talk about it now. But Calleigh gave him a look and said, "Why don't you take a shower before dinner? You boys are a mess."

Austin groaned a little but turned obediently toward the stairs, not quite landing one foot on the first step before Calleigh stopped him. "Hey, shoes," she said with a surprisingly momlike snapping and pointing gesture toward the shoe rack by the door. It was one of the few things she was strict about because she'd learned the hard way that kids had a way of trudging in dirty footprints all over the house, and it made Eric smile with amusement.

Austin backed up, smiled, and toed off and kicked his shoes onto the rack before running up the stairs.

Calleigh's eyes danced over Claire before returning to Eric, all too aware of the amused smile still clinging to his lips as she made her way into the hallway for a little more privacy. "I hope he wasn't too much trouble."

"No, not at all," Eric said honestly, furrowing his brows. "We had fun. He's a really good kid."

"Yeah, he is." Calleigh crossed her arms over her chest as she leaned against the wall of her foyer, eyes appreciatively holding his. "Thanks for taking him."

He could tell by the weight of her gaze and the emotion in her voice that she was honestly that appreciative. "It's no problem," he said just as honestly.

"Do you want to stay for dinner?" she asked cautiously. Despite wanting him to stay, she didn't want it to become an awkward habit, and yet she seriously owed him for entertaining her ten-year-old for a few hours – and even more for providing him with a positive male influence for probably the first time in his life.

"I would love to, but I can't," he admitted, a little regretfully, a little playfully. "I have plans already."

"Oh." Calleigh averted her eyes, an awkward silence befalling them until Eric chuckled a little.

"It's Sunday," he reminded her, and it clicked for her as she met his eyes again.

"Right." She nodded slowly, a smile spreading across her lips. "Family dinner."

Although it had been a long time since she'd been, she still kind of missed it – the warm, welcoming atmosphere, being surrounded by a loud and loving family, seeing Eric with all of them… It felt both like yesterday and a lifetime ago.

"Well, I better let you go get cleaned up," she said with a pointed nod toward his sweat-soaked tank. She'd never really been one for the sweat-soaked look, and yet right now the sheen of perspiration that had the rather well-defined muscles in his shoulders and arms glistening was making her think of all kinds of things she really shouldn't be thinking of right now.

He thought he'd caught her gaze lingering, and suddenly memories of picking her up and hauling her off into the shower after joint runs were dangerously filling his subconscious.

"Yeah," he agreed a little too quickly. "I should do that… I'll see you tomorrow?"

"Sure will," she said. "As long as I can get two kids and myself ready and off to school by nine."

Eric chuckled. "I have faith."

Smiling, Calleigh followed him to the door, resting a hand on the doorknob of her front door as Eric paused at the storm door.

"Enjoy your dinner," she told him.

"You too," he said as he left, glancing back at her with a smile as he made his way down the walkway.

As he backed out of her driveway and drove off, Calleigh lingered, a little confused by the sudden ache in the pit of her chest. They'd been off and on for months, and though she grew lonely sometimes and wanted him here – and occasionally acted on that want without a second thought – she was generally fine on her own. They could never figure out what they actually wanted from each other, and it was possible they wanted different things...not to mention they were coworkers in a very dangerous and emotionally heavy job, which added a whole other layer of complexity to everything.

But something about him coming here now, for her but not really just for her, felt very different and confusing and overwhelming. Sighing, she kept her eyes on her empty driveway and swallowed down whatever it was. She soon felt a little hand on her leg and looked down to find Claire leaning against her, searching out the window just as she'd been a moment ago.

"He's not having dinner with us?" she asked, the hint of sadness in her own voice warming Calleigh's heart right back up.

Calleigh laid her hand over Claire's smooth brown hair and smiled supportively. "Not tonight. He had to go have dinner with his family."

"So no more cookies?"

Calleigh laughed softly, tucking a lock of hair behind Claire's ear. "No more cookies right now. Although I think there may be one or two from last night. You and Austin can split them after dinner, okay?"

"Okay," Claire agreed happily, although Calleigh was all too aware of the one last glance she directed out the door before they closed it.

* * *

Clorinda couldn't quite put her finger on it, but something was different about her son. Eric seemed just a little lighter today than he had for the past few months. His shoulders were relaxed, his smiles came easy, and his eyes held a little flicker of excitement she hadn't seen for quite some time – not since a certain blonde used to occasionally accompany him to these get-togethers.

They weren't back together; she'd deduced that much. If _that_ had been the case she knew he'd be grinning every other moment and when he wasn't, one corner of his mouth would be pulled into a smirk. Like when they'd started dating and it was so obvious when he was grinning at every buzz of his phone, yet he'd denied it for months.

In between packing up what little leftovers they had, she kept sneaking glances at him as he helped her wash dishes, trying to pinpoint the cause of his lightheartedness. Maybe he had met someone, she wondered for a moment. She hadn't thought there would be an 'after Calleigh,' yet she knew things had been complicated between them ever since his biological father showed up, and she only wanted to see Eric happy. She wanted him to have the life he'd always wanted – a wife, kids, a white picket fence, the whole nine yards – and every now and then she'd wondered if at this point, that might mean moving on.

"So work's good…" she began for him, trying to get him talking.

"Yeah," he assured with a curt smile. "We just took down this really corrupt attorney. He had moles in the state attorney's office and MDPD. I think Horatio was pretty excited to get him off the streets."

Clorinda nodded, watching him carefully. He seemed glad about locking up a dirty attorney, but it was far from the cause for his mood.

"How's Calleigh?" she asked cautiously, studying his reaction. His lips crept into a smirk. Bingo.

"Calleigh's...uh, really good."

Only that smirk wasn't for the reason she thought it was… "She's a mom now."

Clorinda paused in the middle of folding a kitchen towel back up, raising her brows. Eric laughed softly at her expression, shaking his head. "She adopted two kids – brother and sister. They were part of an old case and got really attached to her, and when she followed up with them in foster care I think she started realizing she could provide a better, more permanent home for them."

"That's wonderful," Clorinda said softly, finally resuming her folding and then slipping the towel through the rack on her oven.

"Yeah, she's pretty amazing with them." There was that smirk again – and a whole lot of emotion in his eyes as he quickly averted them and returned his attention to scrubbing serving dishes. "And they're really good kids."

"You've spent time with them?" she asked, beginning to understand. Eric loved kids, and Eric loved Calleigh, and – well, she didn't need a fancy background in psychology to understand that that was a dangerous combination. She only needed to know her son, which she did. Very well.

"Yeah," he said carefully, beginning to sense her suspicion when her tone betrayed her concern. "You know, their mom died when they were young. Their dad made some bad decisions and had them around a lot of the wrong people… Calleigh's giving them a really good life and I'm just trying to help a little."

"That's very sweet, mijo," Clorinda acknowledged. Eric knew there was more to her words, and he waited for it as he ran a towel over the last dish. "Just be careful you don't get so caught up in Calleigh's life that you forget about your own."

Eric managed a reassuring smile as he set the glass dish on the counter. "I won't," he told her.

But even as he said the words, he was all too aware that despite not dating for months, despite pulling the emergency brake on their relationship when they couldn't figure out what they were doing or what they wanted, he still couldn't imagine a life without Calleigh in it. And he had no idea what to do with the knowledge that the short nights and little moments they still indulged themselves in might now be gone. What was even more dangerous was that he was pretty sure Calleigh didn't either.


	4. Long Days and Sleepless Nights

_Note: As always, thanks for the reviews! Life has been a little crazy, so apologies for the slower update. I have to focus on studying for an upcoming exam, so unfortunately the next one will probably take a little bit, too. :(_

* * *

Sifting through the charred, mangled remains of a meth house wasn't really how Calleigh had imagined spending her Monday morning, and yet it wasn't all bad. The blown-out windows were letting the breeze from an incoming tropical storm sweep through the house – so much so that it _almost_ felt like being outside, which was way better than being stuck in the lab. And the company certainly wasn't bad either, she thought as her eyes drifted back across what had been the living room and landed on Eric.

He was deep in thought, sifting through a pile of rubble until he carefully brushed something off.

"Hey, I think I've got a wallet here," he called out to her, holding it up.

As she joined him at the other end of the room, he stood and flipped it open. It was charred like most everything else in this room, but the blast had covered it in quite a bit of rubble, sheltering it from the worst of the fire.

Calleigh leaned over his arm for a closer look as he pulled out a Florida driver's license. Her loose blonde hair brushed across his forearm where he'd rolled the sleeves of his button-up away from the ash. And as she leaned in, trying to make out the name, her shoulder pressed against him.

"No picture but part of a name," Calleigh said, oblivious to his eyes on her. Meanwhile, the scent of her shampoo or whatever magic she put in her hair that morning was flooding his subconscious, unearthing a million memories. "Elizabeth Wilson I think?" She looked at him for confirmation and paused when she realized he'd been watching her, her eyes holding his for a moment before she took a deep, steadying breath. And then she took a step back, putting a little distance between them as she smiled both supportively and apologetically. She'd gotten too close, which they did frequently because it was like second nature and they were so comfortable with each other, but it often resulted in very _un_ comfortable silences and glances.

"Good find," she finally said, a little softer than usual. "You want me to send a photo to Walter?"

"Yeah, please," he said, returning to the task at hand. He set the open wallet and license down on a more steady surface and watched her photograph it before they both returned to sifting through the rubble.

She'd moved back to her side of the mess and was beginning to regret her choice of heels as she squatted and ran her gloved hand through the debris.

"So uh, hypothetical question," Eric began, drawing her attention again along with a little smile. "How would you feel about having a basketball hoop at the end of your driveway?"

Calleigh immediately grinned and shook her head. "Why do I get the feeling this isn't hypothetical?"

Eric didn't divulge an answer. "You didn't answer the question."

"I wouldn't mind, Austin would love it," she said honestly. But she sighed and rested her forearms on her thighs for a moment, sitting back on her heels. "But I don't want you buying stuff for them, Eric. You have nieces and nephews to spoil."

Eric shook his head, a knowing smile on his lips. This was why he'd asked her hypothetically first. "I'm not buying, I might know a guy getting rid of one," he told her, watching the way her eyes landed on him suspiciously. "And none of my nieces and nephews like basketball as much as Austin does."

She narrowed her eyes, clearly questioning his honesty because she wouldn't put it past him to stretch the truth a little in order to do something nice. But he averted his eyes back to the task at hand, accepting her answer with a smile as he returned to moving aside bits of drywall and furniture.

"Hey, did Tom determine cause of death yet?" Calleigh asked, pausing to photograph a medium-sized pool of blood she'd just uncovered beneath the rubble.

Eric double-checked his phone. "Don't think so."

"Well I have a pretty substantial amount of blood here…"

"So something happened to our vic before the blast, or there was someone else here…" Eric thought aloud, pushing up to join her. While she finished measuring and photographing, he bagged a sample for DNA.

"We should get that to the lab," she said, happy to stand and stretch her legs out. "If that blood doesn't match the victim's, we could have another victim or a suspect out there somewhere."

"I vote we put Wolfe on collection duty for the afternoon," he suggested with a mischievous smirk as they made their way out of the house, snapping off gloves as they continued to the Hummer. Eric opened up the back and set the evidence they'd collected so far safely within evidence boxes while Calleigh packed their camera back into its storage bag. Following protocol, she flipped open a laptop and slipped the memory card into the drive to add them to their server. As the upload started, her eyes drifted to Eric, studying him until he realized her eyes were on him.

"What?" he asked, a little amused.

"About the Wednesday basketball thing…" she began softly, sighing heavily. They hadn't talked about it yet, and she'd thought about it a lot last night. "You have your own life, I don't want you to commit to spending every Wednesday with a bunch of 10-year-olds and their dads."

Eric shook his head, dismissing her concerns. "I wouldn't have told Austin I was interested if I wasn't willing to do that. It's not a big deal, Cal."

"It's gonna be a really big deal to him," she pointed out, eyes beginning to grow heavy with emotion. The intimate nickname had rolled right off his lips and into her ears like it used to. "He hasn't had many men in his life that haven't flaked on him, including his own dad."

"I know," he admitted seriously. "He needs to know there are people out there who are gonna stick around."

"Right," Calleigh agreed, although she was pretty sure they had entirely different things running through their minds right now. She didn't doubt that Eric would be there for Austin, not even for a second; what she did doubt was their ability continue on this way, as friends, for the foreseeable future when she knew what he really wanted one day. He wanted a family, and she worried that he'd lose sight of that while investing his time and energy into these kids. Watching him move on was the absolute last thing she wanted to do – in fact, she was acutely aware that it would probably emotionally break her, and she kind of couldn't bring herself to think about it. But she also didn't want to keep him from what he really wanted; she loved him too much to ever forgive herself for that.

Despite what she'd said, her tone wasn't exactly agreeable and he watched her carefully, noticing the tightness of her lips, the way she was focusing on the screen and avoiding him.

"Calleigh…" he implored, knowing her.

She sighed, not sure how much of her concerns to divulge. Swallowing hard, she forced a reassuring smile and let her eyes meet his. "I just don't want you giving up too much of your time and missing out on anything," she said simply, hoping he didn't read between the lines too much and take it the wrong way.

She was relieved when an amused smirk spread across his lips as she ejected the drive and snapped the laptop shut.

"Oh yeah?" he said playfully, moving a little closer than necessary to her to reach up and grab the back door of the Hummer. "Wouldn't wanna give up my raging social life," he teased, resting his hand there for a moment, which had his body leaning toward hers and the meaning behind his words not lost on her as his eyes pointedly dragged over her. Apparently since they'd put the brakes on their casual weeknight dates and cozy weekends spent together, he hadn't filled his social calendar at all, which was saying a lot for the Eric Delko she remembered from years ago.

She was so affected by those implications and his proximity that her brain hadn't yet registered the need to step back so he could pull the door down. A deeper smirk gave way to a grin as he laid his free hand on her hip and gently moved her back. Despite the fact that she had to push her lips together to keep from smiling and that he was chuckling as he closed the door and moved around to the driver's side, the ache in her heart and the anxiety that bubbled up in her chest were both completely overwhelming.

* * *

Sleep was just not coming easy tonight for Calleigh. She should've been exhausted. It had been a long day back at work after her time off to get Austin and Claire settled in. She'd been up early to make sure the three of them were ready on time, and between processing the crime scene with Eric, transporting evidence, questioning suspects, test-firing a few handguns, picking the kids up, and making dinner, she felt like she'd been running around nonstop all day.

She'd been fighting yawns all evening, and yet now that she was here, comfortably tucked in bed in the dark with nothing but what should've been peaceful silence surrounding her, her mind was racing. She couldn't shake the sinking feeling that there was a lot more behind Eric's intentions than just helping her out. Really, she knew there was; it was impossible to think otherwise, and it was also pretty obvious that he knew she saw right through him. Since day one when she'd told him she was thinking of adopting, he'd offered to help – which she was pretty sure she'd accurately taken to mean he'd marry her in a heartbeat if it would help or if it meant she'd get those kids.

It had been sweet, and yet it had kind of thrown her for a confusing loop because of what he seemed all too willing to give up, no questions asked, when before it had been such a large missing piece of the puzzle for them.

 _As Calleigh maneuvered her chopsticks through her shrimp lo mein, she was all too aware of a certain pair of eyes on her. She was smiling before she even looked up, fishing the perfect bite of noodles, shrimp, and veggies out before the weight of his stare finally got the best of her. By the time she looked up, he was smirking into his own carton of chicken fried rice on the other end of her love seat._

" _Something on your mind?" she finally asked, setting her carton down to shrug her blazer off, getting a little more comfortable. His eyes drifted over her white tank and perfectly sloped shoulders appreciatively._

" _Aren't you gonna tell me about your day?" he teased, another little smirk gracing his lips. It was unusual for them to work separate cases, especially lately, but his schedule was a little off this week._

 _He'd done Wolfe a favor and swapped for the early callout this week, and he kept getting wrapped up at scenes with Natalia before Calleigh had even started her day. As a result, Calleigh and Frank had made it to the second call first today and Eric had been caught up literally every second of his morning until he'd managed a little lunch break. He'd texted Calleigh, but she hadn't responded yet, and when he finally saw her he understood why. As he was making his way out the front doors of the Miami-Dade Police Department, there was Calleigh, looking just as she had when he'd left her house that morning while she was getting ready – only now she was a little more hurried and also had a baby on her hip. Okay, maybe not a baby, but definitely a toddler, who seemed oddly content in her arms amid all the commotion._

" _Hey," he'd said, taking her in in a way that made her a little anxious._

" _Hi."_

" _Need to tell me something?" he'd quipped and she eased up a little, laughing softly._

" _This kid almost contaminated our crime scene," Calleigh had explained. "He's lost, we're gonna keep him here until we find his parents."_

 _He'd nodded, unable to take his eyes off her with that little boy. "Think you'll have time for lunch in a few?"_

" _Um," she'd begun, looking around the precinct before her eyes had settled back on the two-ish-year-old on her hip. She'd been planning on dropping him off with a deputy, but he seemed so comfortable with her and she felt bad leaving now... "I think I'm gonna stay, make sure he finds his way home. I brought a salad, anyway."_

" _Okay," he'd said, another little smile tugging at his lips. "See you tonight?"_

" _Of course."_

 _And now they were here, with him looking at her in a very similar manner and her equal parts amused and nervous._

" _Uh, Brody's parents came to pick him up and were very grateful we found him," she explained. "They lost him in the chaos after the gunshots."_

" _Brody?" Eric raised a brow. "Who actually names their kid Brody?"_

" _I think it's a cute name," she argued, shrugging a little. "It fit him."_

 _Eric shook his head, suddenly questioning her taste in names. "Well, you and Brody were pretty cute…"_

" _Mmm." She eyed him suspiciously._

 _He didn't wait long. "Do you want kids?"_

 _There it was - the question that had been in his gaze all day. It was early, but they'd been falling hard and this was one of those things you needed to know..._

" _Um," she began a little nervously, her voice raising in question. "I'm undecided," she finally said seriously, setting aside her half-gone carton to give him her full attention. "It would mean a lot of time out of the field. I've thought about adopting or fostering at some point…"_

" _That's hard," Eric pointed out, meeting her eyes with a seriousness that had suddenly permeated their conversation. "You never know what kind of background they're coming to you with."_

" _I know. We just see so many kids go in and out of the system...it'd be nice to help somehow."_

 _Eric smiled guardedly. He'd always known Calleigh had a big heart, and yet this surprised him a little. And this playful, flirtatious conversation had taken an unexpectedly heavy turn. He'd secretly been imagining the perfect little future with the two of them: the house with a yard and a white picket fence, the green or brown eyed, sun-kissed blonde babies… It naively hadn't occurred to him she might not be as certain of that future._

" _I know you want kids…" she began, recalling a handful of previous conversations and a whole lot of loaded glances._

" _Yeah," he admitted easily, a little playfulness returning to his eyes as a hesitant but mischievous smile spread across his lips. "I'd have one right now. With you."_

 _Calleigh nearly choked on the very air she was breathing at his forwardness and honesty, having to anxiously clear her throat a little. Despite that, his words made an amused little smile tug at the corners of her lips – one he definitely picked up on._

" _Well, this is kind of a big conversation for a Tuesday night," Eric said decidedly, though he couldn't wipe both the smile and the million questions he had from his features. "How about that movie?"_

 _And with that they returned to their casual Tuesday night, because they had all the time in the world to sort out futures and babies and houses._

Only they never really had, Calleigh reminded herself as she laid in her dark, quiet bedroom. They'd definitely touched upon it during the year they dated, and even a few times during their continuous on-again, off-again cycle that had never really ended. But the conclusion was always the same: she still wasn't sure what she wanted or wasn't ready, and he was very sure and very ready. It was part of why at least she had slowed things down between them; she didn't want to hold him back, and yet they still couldn't stay away from each other.

As she laid there rehashing their previous conversations and waiting for sleep to come, she heard the creak of a door followed by the soft patter of little feet. First came slow, careful steps before a sudden rush of footsteps led straight toward her door.

"Calleigh?" she heard Claire call out, a little panicked, as she pushed her cracked door wider.

"Hey," Calleigh said softly, immediately sitting up in the dark. "Everything okay?" Before she'd even gotten the words out, Claire had launched herself at the bed, grasping for Calleigh as she pulled her into a hug. "Hey, it's okay. What's wrong?"

Claire was sweet and affectionate with her, but never this panicked and clingy, and Calleigh ran a comforting hand over Claire's long brown hair as she straddled her.

"I think there's someone in the house," Claire said in a shaky voice, laying her head against Calleigh's shoulder, her arms wrapped snugly around Calleigh's neck.

"I was just downstairs and I didn't see anything," Calleigh assured. "Did you have a bad dream?"

Claire nodded quickly, needing to tell her but also not wanting to think about it too much for fear it would come back. "There were bad men after us, and they were in the house."

Calleigh's heart immediately broke all over again for these kids, because Claire was just seven and yet she knew what it was like to have loan sharks and mobsters gunning for her family – so much so that she dreamed about them instead of monsters like a normal kid. Calleigh closed her eyes and took in a deep, steadying breath, rubbing Claire's back and realizing she could feel her little heart racing against her chest right now.

"I promise no one is after us," Calleigh said softly but confidently. "And I was just downstairs. All the doors are locked, and the security system would make a really, really loud noise if anyone opened a door or window."

"That's the code thingy by the door?" Claire asked, loosening her grip just a little as she began to calm down.

"That's right." Calleigh pressed a kiss to the crown of her hair. "I know it felt really scary and real, but it was just a dream, okay?"

Claire nodded, her cheek moving against Calleigh's shoulder. "Okay. I'm sorry."

Calleigh's heart clenched again – because also at seven, Claire was apologizing for being afraid and needing to be comforted, something most kids her age did without a thought. It was yet another behavior that made Calleigh wonder what the heck they'd been through between their dad and the foster system.

"No, you don't have to be sorry, I'm here whenever you need me," Calleigh insisted, pulling her tighter in the dark. Not only was she fine with the interruption, but she was also kind of grateful for it. It gave her something to channel her restlessness into and keep her mind off Eric, maybe long enough to actually fall asleep. "Do you want to stay with me for a little bit?"

Claire nodded eagerly, and Calleigh smiled as she pulled the covers back for her, tucking her beneath them as she settled in next to her. Claire's arms immediately found her again and Calleigh pulled her close, letting Claire practically burrow in at her side.

"Are we really safe here?" Claire asked softly into the crook of her neck. She was clearly used to being on the run, and being promised safety and new starts to no avail.

"So safe," Calleigh assured again. "No one is after us, and I'm a cop anyway."

"So the bad guys are afraid of you, 'cause they don't wanna get caught?" Claire asked, and Calleigh smiled at the simplicity. She sure wished it worked that way all the time.

"That's right. And a bunch of my friends are cops, so the bad guys are really scared of us."

"And Eric's a cop, too, right?" she asked in a soft but excited whisper.

So much for not thinking about Eric.

"Right," Calleigh confirmed, a little smile tugging at her lips despite the reminder.

"So when he's around we're like extra extra safe?"

"Sure are." She could feel Claire's breathing finally slowing, and her own body seemed to be taking cues as Claire relaxed. Her own eyes were finally growing heavy, her thoughts less scattered and panicked. She felt Claire's eyes flutter closed against her neck and she relaxed further as Claire fell back asleep, everything seeming much simpler at the moment.

These kids seemed to be taking a liking to Eric, even if Claire wouldn't openly show it yet. And Eric seemed to enjoy their company, and she and Eric definitely enjoyed each other's...company. And maybe that was all that mattered. Maybe.


	5. Weekly Traditions

_Note: Found some writing time over the weekend after my exam! It's a little shorter than my usual, but it was all I had planned for this one and I'm just happy I've been able to continue updating regularly. Hope you all enjoy! :)_

* * *

This was only the second time, but Calleigh was pretty sure they had a new weekly tradition on their hands. Both last Wednesday and today, Eric left work a little earlier than usual in order to pick up Austin. Depending on how much time they had, they'd walk or drive to the park by Calleigh's neighborhood, play basketball for an hour or two with neighborhood kids and parents, and then return home for the evening. Calleigh had invited Eric to stay for dinner both times as a thank-you, and now after dinner also for the second week in a row they'd all migrated out front, where a basketball hoop had magically appeared at the end of her driveway about a week and a half ago ago. Eric and his cousin had showed up in a truck, and a few minutes later, just like that, Austin was exuberantly shooting hoops in the cul-de-sac.

Tonight was a little different than last week, though, because while Claire had happily sat on the front porch with her last week, tonight Calleigh noticed that her eyes kept drifting to the guys as they traded the ball back and forth. Claire had thrown the ball around with Austin a few times when it was just the three of them, but because she still hadn't interacted with Eric much, it was never when he was around. After their post-bad dream conversation, she'd at least relaxed a little when he was around and had even made eye contact a few times, but whatever shyness or nerves she harbored still kept her from actually speaking or interacting with him.

Calleigh had been distracted from the case documents she'd been pouring over before court tomorrow for a good few minutes now, eyes drifting between Claire and the guys shooting hoops. Claire had abandoned her book and was sitting up, hands tucked beneath her legs on the bench they were sharing. With the tucked-in leg she'd been resting her iPad on, Calleigh gently nudged Claire.

"Hey," she said softly, and when Claire turned she nodded towards the guys. "Go play."

Claire smiled shyly, kicking her dangling legs around anxiously before she finally hopped down. Taking the short walkway to the driveway, she made her way down along the flowers that lined the edge of the lawn.

Calleigh watched Eric's expression change as he realized Claire was coming to join them, his eyes finding hers for just a moment as a disbelieving smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. He quickly turned his attention back to the kids, trying to hide the surprise in his eyes and not make a big deal of it as he slowed the rhythm of the ball hitting the pavement beneath him.

"You want in?" he asked Claire, offering up the ball.

She nodded eagerly yet guardedly and he gently passed the ball to her. He watched on as she concentrated all too hard on bouncing the ball a few times before lining up her shot – Austin had clearly been giving her a few pointers – and jumped with a whole lot of power but not a lot of accuracy. She came up short, but the ball at least hit the rim before ricocheting back toward them.

"Hey, that was pretty good!" Eric said with a pleased smile as he cut to the left a little to grab the ball. A little smile tugged at Claire's lips as Eric passed the ball back to her. "See that square behind the basket?" he asked, and she nodded. "Aim for that, not the basket."

Claire lined herself up again, focused her eyes extra hard on the square, and jumped again, this time hitting the back of the board within the square. It ricocheted into the rim of the basket, but came back out.

"Ohhh, you were so close!" Eric said excitedly.

Claire smiled and shrugged, sweetly passing the ball to Austin before she finally, finally spoke in Eric's presence. "It's Austin's turn," she said nicely, having been watching their back-and-forth shots at the basket.

She was clearly avoiding making a big deal of it, focusing instead on Austin as he began to bounce the ball before his shot, but Eric could not stop watching her. It had only been like two weeks, yet it felt like forever that she hadn't been speaking to him and he'd been oddly offended that a seven-year-old – _Calleigh's_ seven-year-old – didn't seem to like him. But that was evidently not the case, and the awe in his eyes was nearly a match for the emotion in Calleigh's that she surprisingly couldn't hide as his gaze found hers.

Leave it to Eric to be one of the only people in this world Claire trusted this quickly. Calleigh smiled back at him as it felt like time had stopped for them, with nothing but flowers blowing in the light humid breeze that had picked up, kids laughing, and his eyes never wavering from hers.

"Austin, that's not fair!" Claire's heated voice suddenly drew both of them back. "You just took _three_ turns."

"So?" Austin said as he passed the ball back to Eric. "You took two earlier."

"Well if you just took two we'd be even," Claire pointed out sassily. "But you took _three_."

Austin rolled his eyes in a way that had Calleigh worried he was closer to his teenage years than she was ready for. "Fine, then take two next time. I don't care."

Claire put her hands on her hips and huffed a breath out, satisfied but still annoyed.

Eric took his shot and was smirking at this side of Claire he'd never seen before as he passed the ball to her and met Calleigh's eyes again. She raised an I-told-you-so brow because she'd warned him Claire didn't stop once you got her started. Both of their gazes were drawn away as Claire took her shot, this time sending the ball perfectly against the backboard and then through the hoop.

A chorus of cheers immediately broke out, and Eric was still smiling broadly as he said, "There it is!" He offered his hand out for a low-five, and Claire bit her lip – mischievously, not hesitantly – before she eagerly slapped his hand, giggled, and returned to their game.

* * *

"I told you she liked you." Calleigh eyed him from the side as they walked ever so slowly to her front door, the flickering of the television casting shadows on the walls of her hallway.

His grin was immediate. Calleigh had been right, and he had no problem admitting that on this occasion.

"Yeah, I guess she doesn't hate me," he admitted jokingly, their voices quiet to shield their conversation from the two kids happily watching a show just down the hall. From the living room, Calleigh could hear Claire ask a curious question and Austin, ever the big brother, answer with equal parts annoyance and forced patience.

Calleigh's gaze drifted toward their voices thoughtfully before she opened the door and quietly slipped out onto the porch with Eric.

"She still barely talks to her teacher," she said with part concern, part awe, her voice a little louder now that they had some privacy. "So you should feel pretty special."

Eric smiled again. "I do."

It was meant to be a joke, but the moment he met her gaze, emotions quickly surfaced in their eyes again. Neither of them could help it, not when Calleigh thought about Claire actually laughing and playing with him like a normal seven-year-old, and not when he was finding himself more and more deeply attached to these kids – and Calleigh. Eric swallowed hard, battling a war of emotions as he slid his hands into his pockets instead of where he really wanted them.

This was exactly why he'd made sure to leave _before_ the kids had gone to bed – because while he'd never dream of putting those kids in a confusing or uncomfortable environment at home, he was still beginning to trust himself less and less. The more he saw Calleigh like this, and the more he witnessed these sweet kids really come into their own in her care, the more attracted to her he became – and that was really saying something considering their starting point.

"I know I've said it before," he began, unable to help himself as his eyes drifted over her face. "But they're doing great. You're really doing an amazing thing for them, Cal."

She smiled appreciatively, but there was a little more to it as her playful, bright eyes softened on him. "So are you."

His lips tightened with emotion and he was about to shake his head, ready to write off what little he felt like he was doing, until her raised brows challenged him. Both of them knew that Austin and Claire hadn't had a positive male influence in their lives since their mom died and their dad went off the rails, which was quite a long time ago. Since then, they'd been carted around by a criminal running from other criminals, never feeling safe or secure or having a permanent home. And definitely not having a dependable guy around who kept his promises.

And so he unspokenly gave in, watching as a strange smile passed over her features and she crossed her arms over her chest, hugging tightly. It wasn't cold; she was battling for control just as he was, her hands tucked beneath her arms an equal match for his in his pockets.

That threw him a little, and brought him back to the increasingly important task at hand: leaving before he couldn't resist reaching over and drawing her close to him. This was getting a little tiresome. He loved seeing Calleigh and the kids regularly, but it left them often wrestling with increasingly awkward goodbyes.

Breathing in suddenly and deeply, he released it and tried to relax his shoulders. "I should go."

"Yeah." She didn't sound totally convinced, her arms tugging tighter as she smiled – a little regretfully – and watched him turn toward the steps. "Have a good night," she said, hints of her southern drawl clinging to the version of those words that was a little more formal than what they used to say to each other.

The corners of his lips curved upward, mischievously and sadly all at once. "Goodnight, Cal," he wished her, sending every little hair on her arms and the back of her neck upright. His words, soft and low, rolled over her skin like the light touch of his fingertips down her spine used to, and she shivered a little at the reminder as she watched him walk away much too soon for the hundredth time lately.


	6. Piece by Piece

_Note: Thank you all so much for all the reviews! Writing time has been hard for me to come by, and your reviews are seriously so motivating and encouraging! Hope you all enjoy this._

* * *

 _A few weeks later_

Calleigh took in a deep breath and slowly released it, pressing her palms against the edge of the layout counter and gripping the underside of the table hard. She'd been staring at the photos and evidence so long, they were starting to blur together: photos of a woman face-down in a pool of blood, a room full of broken and trashed household goods surrounding her. The evidence was spread out before Calleigh: a blood-soaked shirt they'd already combed for DNA, an empty round from a .38 caliber handgun that had absolutely zero trace for them to test, and scattered items they'd meticulously searched for fingerprints to no avail.

They were at a dead-end, and it was especially aggravating because they all knew this woman's asshole of a deadbeat, abusive boyfriend had done it. He'd smirked throughout his interrogation, challenging Calleigh to try to pin him for it and betting a life sentence on her not being able to. She'd been so pissed and frustrated when they were done that Eric had made her take a break for the first time during her seven-hour stretch.

Now she was on hour eight, and with school pick-up rapidly approaching within 25 minutes, it was starting to look like this guy was going to walk another day.

All they had was a bullet from their victim's chest with no matches in IBIS, and no gun to tie it to. Despite having it on record that this boyfriend owned a .38 Glock handgun, it was conveniently "stolen" from him several months ago.

Letting her frustration get the better of her, she folded her arms over the counter and rested her forehead against them, trying to give her tired eyes and mind a rest. When she looked back up and ran a hand through her tousled hair, tossing it to one side, Eric had appeared in the doorway.

"You good?" he asked, a plastic evidence bag with a thumb drive from another case in one hand. He'd clearly been passing by and stopped to check on her.

"Yeah," she said honestly, breathing out a little sigh. "I just really want to get this guy and it's not coming together. I hate to say it, but he was actually kind of smart about this. No prints, no DNA, no gun."

As though right on cue, Natalia breezed in with a smug smile on her face and set a bagged .38 Glock down right in front of Calleigh.

"What was that you were saying?" Natalia teased, knitting her brows together playfully.

Calleigh's eyes lit up at the missing piece, beginning to suspect it through the bag. It was the right make and model. "Where did you find this?"

Natalia pursed her lips together just before a pleased smile spread across her lips. "At the crime scene," she said, earning her two skeptical looks. "It was right under our noses this whole time. In the air vent."

Calleigh rolled her eyes, tired of this guy that had them spinning their wheels all day. "Did you run the serial number yet?"

"Yep," Natalia assured. "I called Frank. It's definitely his...you know, the one that was supposedly stolen."

"Of course it is," Calleigh said.

"All we need is for you to work your magic and we can nail this guy, which I, personally, am really looking forward to."

A little smile tugged at the corners of Calleigh's lips, but she was soon biting her bottom one. She wanted – no, _needed_ – to follow through on this and get this guy off the streets and into a cell where he belonged. She needed to help Natalia do it, when it had become so personal throughout the day for both of them between her interaction with him and Natalia's emotional investment considering she had an abusive ex-husband. But Calleigh also had to pick up Austin and Claire in...oh, 15 minutes now.

She sighed, looking at the clock. "I have to pick the kids up at 4:15."

Natalia bit her lip and then nodded slowly. "I'm sure the night shift can handle it."

The whole team had been pretty incredible about her actually sticking to her hours for the first time in her entire tenure there, and she loved them for it. But the disappointment on Natalia's face was obvious this time - because while the night shift tech was perfectly capable, he wasn't Calleigh. And Natalia wanted to nail this guy just as much as she did.

"I can get them," said Eric's voice, drawing two pairs of inquisitive eyes his way.

"You don't have to do that," Calleigh said immediately, although the idea of getting to stay a few hours to personally lock this guy up was already sounding rather appealing.

"I want to," he assured, voice going a little softer for a moment.

The air in the room had suddenly shifted, tension, unanswered questions, and a whole lot of baggage swirling between them in a way that made Natalia realize she had just wound up in the middle of more than she'd bargained for. Her eyes danced between them curiously, a knowing smile on her lips as she quietly but decidedly backed out of the room to return to DNA.

"Seriously," Eric began now that they were alone. "I just have to run this to Walter and I'm done. I told you I wanted to help if you ever needed it. Let me help."

"Are you sure?" she asked, a smile tugging at her lips.

"Yes," he said emphatically. "Go get this guy."

Calleigh fully smiled, already reaching for the gun that Natalia had left sitting atop the table before her – like she'd known she wasn't going to leave it today.

"I guess you don't need a key…" she surmised coyly, referring to the one she'd given him just a few months into their relationship and never asked to have back. The one that still hung from his ring along with the keys to the other most important places in his life.

"Uhh no," he confirmed, a smile of his own spreading across his lips. "No I don't."

* * *

Between the test-firing, processing, tracking down, and booking, it was a few hours before Calleigh was finally pushing the door to her own home open. It was late enough that the kids might be in bed, and as she set her belongings down in the foyer, the quiet told her that just might be the case. The whole house was silent save for the low buzz of the television, and as she drew closer she could make out the still familiar voices of SportsCenter commentators – Eric's choice in television for this time of the evening.

She was fully expecting to find him somehow eagerly watching people talk about sports, but the sight that met her eyes as she made it to the end of the hallway completely threw her for a loop. He was there, but definitely not eagerly watching sports commentary, and definitely not alone.

Claire was with him, all ready for bed with her favorite purple pajamas with stars and a blanket from her room, yet she was here: propped up against him by a bunch of throw pillows, long asleep by the looks of it. Her hand was curled up beneath her chin, which was a rival in adorableness for the way Eric was slumped over the back of her couch cushion, elbow bent awkwardly beneath his head. It was obvious he'd stayed upright because Claire was against him, but he'd lost his battle against sleep, too.

Calleigh quietly made her way around the coffee table and toward him, placing a gentle hand against his bicep and rubbing softly until he woke.

"Hey," she said quietly, an amused smile gracing her lips. "I'm home. I'm gonna take her to bed."

"Hey," he said back as he blinked his eyes open, straightening up just a little. "Okay."

Moving down the couch a little, Calleigh carefully tucked Claire's blanket against her body, making sure it was beneath her hands as she gently scooped Claire up by her underarms. Just as she did, Claire stirred and blinked her eyes open at the now familiar touch.

"Calleigh!" she let out softly but excitedly, enthusiastically throwing her arms around Calleigh's shoulders. The weight sent Calleigh tipping forward before they were upright, forcing her to extend a free hand to the back couch cushion to keep her from falling right into Eric. She'd come close, though, her hair sweeping over his neck and shoulder, her cheek accidentally brushing the side of his head.

"Sorry," she murmured softly, her voice buzzing just next to his ear. She lingered a little too long, both because she was completely off balance and because she didn't have the energy to tear herself away from him right now.

"You good?" he asked, unable to resist putting a hand on her side to support her. She did have a kid who was arguably too big to be picked up clinging to her upper body, after all.

"Yeah." She laughed a little, pushing up with his help. "I'll be right back."

"You're home," Claire mumbled sleepily as she rested her head on Calleigh's shoulder.

"I am." Calleigh rested a hand on her back as they made their way up the stairs. "Did you have fun with Eric?"

"Yeah!" Claire assured excitedly, despite the fact that she seemed ready to fall right back asleep. "We went to the park and played frisbee and ate pizza and watched a movie."

"Wow," Calleigh said with a smile as they crossed into Claire's room. "That sounds like a pretty good night." As she set her down, sitting upright, in bed, she asked, "Why weren't you asleep in your bed?"

"I wanted to wait for you to get home," she explained like it was the most obvious thing in the world. "But I fell asleep… Did you catch the bad guy?"

Her smile broadened, emotions stirring in her chest at the knowledge that Claire had tried to wait up for her. "We did," she said, smoothing down Claire's mussed hair and tucking it behind an ear.

"So now he can't hurt anyone?"

Calleigh frowned at her in-depth understanding of this. "Right, he won't be able to hurt anyone ever again. But how about you let me worry about that stuff and you get some sleep, okay?"

"Okay," Claire agreed, although Calleigh could tell the gears were already turning in her mind.

"Just think about how tomorrow is Saturday, and we can sleep in and make pancakes," Calleigh suggested, a mischievous smile tugging at the corners of her lips.

"With chocolate chips?!"

"You bet."

As Claire eased back into bed, Calleigh tucked her blanket and comforter around her and said goodnight, pressing a kiss to her forehead. And then Calleigh began to make her way back downstairs, wrestling her emotions and wants all the way.

She couldn't quite put to words what it meant to her that Eric had picked up these kids without a second thought, not only taking them home but entertaining them and getting dinner when she'd been a little longer than expected. And the sight of her cautious and distrusting seven-year-old curled up against him had stirred something within her – something she had never let herself feel that hit her with the weight of a thousand suppressed daydreams. She wasn't the type to get lost in imagined futures or dwell on what could be, not after her upbringing, the harsh realities she saw day to day, and disappointments from one too many people she thought she trusted. And definitely not after realizing she and Eric might not be on the same page. He seemed to always know exactly what he wanted out of his future.

Calleigh thought she'd finally figured it out when she'd adopted these kids on her own: just the three of them, together, her focus fully on giving them the best home possible, no distractions or complicated relationships. Only Eric hadn't been a distraction at all; he'd been like a missing piece of the puzzle she hadn't realized they needed until the pieces had been laid bare. And the way this was all unfolding had her heart racing and her conscience surprisingly calm as she made her way back to him, very decidedly moving about the coffee table, nestling her knees on either side of his thighs, and sliding into his lap. Before he could even comprehend what was going on, his hands instinctively landed on her thighs just as her hands cupped his neck and she pressed her lips to his.

It was soft at first – a thank-you, a lapse in their resolve. And then her eyes found his, not surprised at all but simply waiting, seemingly growing darker as the moments ticked on. She captured his lips this time, pulling him closer and letting her body relax into his a little more as their lips melded together slowly again and again.

She pulled back before they got too lost, taking in a deep breath and biting her lip before she met his eyes again.

"Thank you…" she finally let out, smiling as she took in his half-gone, tired eyes.

"Any time," he breathed out honestly, his senses calming down as he took in what used to be a very normal occurrence: Calleigh in his lap, her body snug against his thighs, her familiar hands lightly pressed against his skin. He settled into the moment easily, familiar and comforting, as his hands traced the outsides of her dress pant-clad thighs. "For the record, I didn't do it for...this."

"I know." She smiled, taking in his honest eyes and irresistible features.

His hands made their way to the small of her back, tugging her close until her body naturally kissed his and her temple rested against his. Calleigh closed her eyes, taking in the relatively short moments of comfort and familiarity and something much more she couldn't put her finger on before he would inevitably have to leave. The question of what the heck they were doing silently floated between them, thought but not spoken for fear of having to draw boundaries neither of them knew if they could keep themselves from crossing.


	7. Friends

_Note: Sorry it's been a little while! I had my finals about a week ago and then had a mild case of writer's block this week. But here's a long chapter to make up for it! :) Hope you enjoy._

* * *

It was a rough day for everyone. It always was when there were kids involved. The usual banter that accompanied their workday was gone, replaced with a solemn reverence as they processed evidence and pieced the crime scene together: a home attacked in the middle of the night, a 16-year-old babysitter, 10-year-old girl, and eight-year-old boy all gone in the blink of an eye.

Everyone knew it was different when you had kids – more personal when you knew exactly what the world was losing, and just how innocent they were. It was impossible not to imagine yourself in the parents' shoes, impossible not to think of your own. That was why everyone kept checking on Calleigh out of the corner of their eyes all morning. But she'd been completely fine, seemingly keeping her distance emotionally while focusing on the task at hand with an added drive most of them possessed today.

Eric had been especially careful not to patronize her, making sure she didn't notice his lingering gazes and watchful eyes. But when everyone had left for lunch and Calleigh had pressed on, he hadn't been able to ignore the glimpse of her discreetly ducking into the locker room. And he also hadn't been able to ignore the urge to check on her, his legs nearly on autopilot as they trekked down the hall after her.

He pushed the locker room door open, looking both ways for familiar blonde hair even though he knew exactly where she'd be: in front of her locker in their team's private little corner, tucked away at the back of the rows. And that was where he found her, locker aimlessly open, head resting against her forearm as she leaned into the open door, taking a just a moment to not completely distance herself from the case and let herself feel the realities of it.

After a moment, she sensed she wasn't alone; somehow she just knew he was there and so she breathed in deeply before she stood upright, hand still resting on her locker door. She swallowed the lump of emotion in her throat and turned to him, smiling sadly. "Hey...sorry, I didn't realize anyone was still here."

"I couldn't really bring myself to take a break from this one," Eric admitted.

"Yeah," she agreed, nodding slowly, her understanding eyes tracing over his solemn features.

"You okay?" he asked, eyes drifting toward where her hand was still resting in her locker: over the dried flowers she'd pressed into a display frame and hung on the inside of her locker door, the ones Claire and Austin had picked for her the day she got to bring them home. Calleigh was not a sentimental person, and he knew for a fact that she only had one personal item hanging in her locker before these kids – an antique locket her grandmother had given her that had been there as long as he'd known her. The flowers were a very telling addition.

She didn't really answer, just shrugged as an attempt at another sad smile passed over her lips. Her eyes lingered on the flowers, and when she met his gaze again her eyes were red-rimmed with the threat of tears. "I just keep seeing that little boy's nightstand over and over again...the book he was reading, Claire has it."

Eric's eyes softened on her and he swallowed hard, taking a step closer. Her shoulders relaxed and her eyes watered at the prospect of his touch, and she didn't have the mental energy to think about what that meant right now even though it was monumental. Usually her armor grew tougher in the presence of others and she only ever let herself go in the comfort of privacy, but Eric...Eric was an emotional trigger, and as his arms slipped around her frame, comforting and sturdy and warm, he easily chipped her defenses away.

There were no words needed as his arms enveloped her in an intimate hug, her body tucked against his, his hand moving up to cradle the back of her head over her smooth blonde hair. His head fit perfectly atop hers, leaving her to bury her face against the comforting crook of his neck. Her eyes welled more at the overwhelming contact, a few tears overflowing as she tried to blink them back.

After a long silence and several shaky breaths, she shook her head at herself a little. "I was so worried about being a good parent while being a cop… I never realized I'd have to worry about it the other way around, too."

"You're still an amazing cop," he assured without missing a beat. "And you're an incredible mom," he added, emotion sending his voice low and gravelly in a way that made her hairs stand on edge. Despite having adopted kids nearly two months ago, she didn't hear that word all that often. Claire and Austin called her Calleigh, both because that was how they knew her and because they had a mom of their own when they were very young whom Calleigh had no intention of competing with. But hearing Eric use the M word still did a little something to her.

He turned slightly until his lips were against her temple, his knuckles reassuringly brushing over her spine as he pressed his lips to her forehead. The contact made her close her eyes, relishing in the comfort and familiarity.

And then, because emotions were already high and her heart was a confusing mixture of calmed and anxious, she asked, "What are we doing?"

"I don't know," he breathed out, fingers finding her elbow and then trailing down her arm until they threaded with her own. "We're friends...friends help each other out…"

"Not like this," she said, a hint of amusement in her voice as her fingers wrapped around his.

"Maybe not," he admitted, a little smile tugging at his lips despite the weight of the conversation. "But I can't just stop. I can't just turn this off."

"Me either," she said honestly, brows knitting together with emotion as she pulled back enough to study him.

"Is that such a bad thing?" he asked, the innocence and mischievousness of it actually making the corners of her lips curve upward.

"I don't know." She sighed, her other hand finding his and interlacing their fingers as she leaned into him again, resting her forehead against his chest. He wrapped their joined hands around her, settling them on her back, and pressed his lips to the crown of her head. Both of them lingered longer than they should've at work, needing the reassurance and familiarity today. She honestly didn't know what they were doing – if it was good or bad or just was what it was. All she knew was that today had her longing for both this and those sweet kids of hers she hadn't stopped thinking about all day.

* * *

"Eric!"

The little voice that had recently become quite familiar to him brought a smile to his face before he'd even turned. Despite the surprise of hearing it in this context – while walking down the hall of the lab – there was no mistaking it, and when he turned, Claire was most definitely running towards him.

Given that it was Tuesday and nearly a week since their typical Wednesday gathering, they hadn't seen each other yet this week, and Claire's enthusiasm was infectious as she crashed into his legs. She hugged them for a moment and then pulled back to jump up and down, beaming with a smile.

"Hey," Eric let out as he chuckled, resting an affectionate hand over her braided hair. It was only as she calmed down that he had the chance to take in Austin and then Calleigh trailing down the hall behind Claire, Austin picking up the pace as he realized who she'd found. Calleigh hung back to take it all in with an all-at-once calm, knowing, and emotionally overwhelmed look on her face, his eyes all too easily taking in the playful sway of her hips as she lagged behind to let them have their moment.

"What are you guys doing here?" he asked, gaze shifting back to Claire and then Austin as he caught up. It was five o' clock: long after they got out of school, and long after Calleigh was supposed to be clocked out.

"Calleigh has to do some paperwork," Claire told him. "Austin and I are gonna draw and do our fingerprints, and then we're all gonna spoil our dinner with ice cream!" She pushed up onto her toes excitedly, looking up at him hopefully. "Do you want to come with us?!"

Eric hesitated, looking up at Calleigh as she reached them; he didn't want to intrude on her time with them, especially not today, and he was wary of involving himself in too many family events given both previous and current situations, along with the fact that she'd initially told him she needed to do this process on her own.

But Calleigh was smiling with bright, playful eyes as she asked, "Well, do you?"

"I would love to," he said softly, eyes dancing between Claire and Calleigh.

"Great, just give me like 30 minutes to finish up this report," she said as she began to direct the kids into an empty processing room. "We'll come find you when I'm done."

/~/

Ice cream cones and cups in hand, the four of them were now strolling along the promenade that surrounded the shopping center with Calleigh's favorite ice cream shop. The brick walkway gave way to a circle that wrapped around a large fountain, and Austin quickly jumped up onto the retaining wall that surrounded it. Claire followed, precariously balancing her melting ice cream cone and lapping up a big drip of chocolate just before it hit her hand.

She looked back at Eric and Calleigh, trailing just slightly behind, and smiled, all bright and happy and especially adorable with a glob of chocolate painted beneath her lips.

"Can we make wishes?" she asked, eyes flickering between the shining pennies, dimes, and quarters at the bottom of the water.

"They're not gonna come true," Austin said, mostly just fulfilling his big brotherly obligation to be cynical and mess with his little sister.

"You don't know that," Claire snapped back, taking care of another drip of ice cream before it caused a mess. She watched Calleigh dig a few pennies from her clutch and held her free hand out. Turning back towards the fountain, she closed her eyes tightly in thought while she made her wish, opening them as she tossed the penny into the middle of the fountain and watched it settle at the bottom.

"Are you gonna make one?" she asked Eric and Calleigh.

Calleigh pursed her lips and narrowed her eyes in thought. "Okay," she said after a moment, stepping up to the fountain and hesitating for a moment before she flicked a penny in after Claire's.

Claire set her sights on Eric then, watching on excitedly as he made his wish and then sent a penny flipping in an arc through the air before splashing into the water.

"What did you wish for?" she asked him mischievously despite knowing proper wish protocol.

"I can't tell you, 'cause then it won't come true," Eric said, standing his ground despite a pretty adorable grin that was currently melting him from the inside out.

Calleigh watched on with a smile, knowing exactly what was happening as Claire tried to wear him down with pleases and puppy dog eyes. Her efforts dissolved in a fit of giggles when Eric tickled her and picked her up, risking certain ice cream drips on his t-shirt.

It was through a mix of teases and giggles and Austin splashing water at them, contributing to the chaos, that Calleigh heard her name.

"Calleigh?"

It sounded just a touch familiar, but she couldn't put her finger on it, and as she turned toward the sound she was surprised to find Eric's oldest sister walking into the circle from the other end of the walkway. Since Calleigh had moved forward away from the splashing, she was the first one to be recognized. But as Christina drew closer and she had a better angle, her smile of recognition soon turned into a smirk as she could finally see who was accompanying her little brother's ex (she thought)-girlfriend: none other than her little brother, looking very comfortable playing with two kids she'd never seen before.

"Christina, hey." Calleigh smiled, holding her dwindling cup of mint chocolate chip away from her body as Christina wrapped an arm around her in a quick hug. "How are you?"

The name had caught Eric's attention, and he eased Claire down as he stepped forward.

"I'm good," she said quickly, eyes then dancing between her brother and Calleigh, taking in the two of them dressed down after work: Eric in his gym clothes for his next destination, which probably wasn't going to be very successful after two scoops of chocolate chip cookie dough, and Calleigh in dress pants and a purple tank top after ditching her blazer. Her eyes lingered on Calleigh, who was freshly tanned from all her outside time with the kids, eyes bright and happy much like her brother's. "You look good…" she began with every bit of the assumptive undertone she'd intended. Before Calleigh could awkwardly respond, she set her sights on Eric. "Hey, little bro."

"Hi." Eric smiled, moving towards her for a warm hug as Claire hesitated behind him, finding safe ground between him and Calleigh.

"Who's this?" she asked, nodding towards Claire before her eyes drifted over to Austin, too.

"That's Claire," Calleigh chimed in, placing a supportive hand on Claire's back as she leaned into her. "And this is Austin," she added, motioning to him with the arm that was busy holding her ice cream. "They came to live with me about two months ago." She smiled, watching an understanding smile appear on Christina's face. "Guys, this is Eric's sister, Christina."

"Hi," Austin said politely, excited about meeting someone from Eric's family. "Do you play basketball, too?"

Christina laughed, eyes dancing between Eric and Austin. "No, I kinda suck at sports. Except swimming. Hey, speaking of, you guys should come play with my kids at our pool sometime."

"You have a pool?!" Austin asked, brown eyes wide as he looked over at Calleigh. "Can we please go?"

"We'll see…" Calleigh said, eyes flickering between him and Christina a little hesitantly.

Christina, ever in tune with her little brother, noticed the way his eyes landed on Calleigh before a look of hope and hesitation passed over his features. And as a clearly shy and suspicious Claire tugged Austin away from her – a stranger, despite being the relative of someone she clearly adored – and back toward the fountain, Christina couldn't help herself.

"So, I didn't realized you guys were, uh…" She motioned between them, not having the words… Dating? Together? She was kind of hoping one of them would fill in the blank.

"Oh," Calleigh said, not at all surprised because she had definitely already realized the implications that had been made here. "We're...not, really." She winced at her last choice of word, knowing that Christina was reading them like a book and making this chance encounter even more awkward.

Luckily, Eric was a little more used to interrogations by his sister. "We're not," he assured, although a telling smile that mirrored his sister's was currently curving up the corners of his lips. "We're friends."

She grinned, swiping away a long, dark lock of hair that had blown into her face as her eyes danced between them suspiciously. "Right…well, pool offer still stands. As long as it's not weird for Eric."

Calleigh pressed her lips together to keep from smiling, avoiding eye contact with Eric. It had been a while since she'd been around the Delkos, and she was a little off the throw-everything-out-in-the-open game that generally permeated their family interactions. It was both reassuring and terrifying. "Thanks, I'll make sure."

"I'm gonna return this before the shop closes," Christina said, motioning to the paper department store bag in her hand. "Enjoy your…" She paused, realizing she'd been about to say date or evening or something equally implicative. She finally settled on "ice cream" with a playful grin as she disappeared down the walkway.

Calleigh shook her head as they watched her walk away, an amused smile gracing her features. "She's gonna tell your mom," she teased, watching Eric's reaction as he smiled and rolled his eyes.

"Obviously," he said, both of them fully knowing he was in for quite the interrogation at some point in the near future.

Realizing the time as she checked her watch, Calleigh tossed her nearly empty cup into a trash can. "Austin, Claire, we gotta get home and eat some real food before it gets too late."

"Maybe we should just get pizza," Austin suggested hopefully, met with raised brows.

"Try leftover chicken and vegetables," Calleigh shot back playfully. "To make up for the ice cream."

Claire wrinkled her nose at that, but followed Calleigh's lead as she stuck the last of her ice cream cone in her mouth and began the walk back to the car.

"Are you coming to dinner, too?" Austin asked Eric hopefully as they followed the line of cars through the parking lot.

"Not tonight," Eric said regretfully. "I have to get to the gym, but basketball tomorrow, right?"

"Tomorrow's Wednesday?" Austin asked excitedly, receiving a confirmatory nod and a smile in response. "Yesssss!"

"I'll see you guys tomorrow," Eric said, chuckling softly at Austin as they reached their cars parked side by side. "Have a good night."

Both kids wished him goodnight as they climbed into Calleigh's SUV but Calleigh lingered, anxiously tapping her clutch against her other palm as she and Eric stood near the back of their cars. Eric studied her, a knowing smile on his lips at her hesitation. They were having a lot of these moments lately: awkward goodbyes amid undetermined boundaries, neither of them knowing how to handle the situations they found themselves in.

"Enjoy your night," he said, beginning to make his way around the back of his car toward the driver's side. But as he did, Calleigh couldn't help but tug on his shirt, not bold or sure enough to pull him close but not quite wanting him to leave yet.

"Hey, thanks for coming with us," she said sincerely, drawing her hand back before she did more. "And thanks...for earlier." She smiled awkwardly, not at all worried about bearing her emotions to him but more than a little unsure of where they stood.

"Anytime," he assured, and she knew that he meant it without question. "You doing okay?" he asked a little more seriously, brows furrowing.

"Yeah, I'm good now. Just happy to be headed home with them, knowing we did what we could today to make the world a little safer."

"Back at it tomorrow," Eric said.

"Always," Calleigh agreed like it was a promise, her bright green eyes holding his.

And there they were again, standing across from each other longing for more, Eric with his hands in his pockets to keep from reaching for her, Calleigh shifting her weight anxiously.

"Well, goodnight," she told him, surprising him a little as she stepped forward and wrapped her arms around him for the second time that day. She'd hugged him in front of Austin and Claire before, friendly and quick, but somehow this felt different. Because as his arms found their way around her waist and he enveloped her against his warm, comforting body, he rested his head against hers, taking in the familiar scent of her shampoo.

"Goodnight, Cal," he said softly, lips brushing against her temple as he spoke.

She pulled back, eyes communicating everything they couldn't say or do right now as she parted from him. She smiled both sadly and knowingly as she climbed into her car, sighing as she settled into the front seat. The kids were surprisingly quiet in the backseat, with nothing but the rush of the air conditioner and the low hum of the radio greeting her as she buckled her seatbelt.

But then Austin's voice cut through the quiet, asking, "Is Eric, like, your boyfriend?"

Calleigh's eyes widened a little, though she had to duck her head as an amused smile spread across her lips, especially as Claire giggled. "No. Why?"

"I dunno, it just seems like he likes you, and you know his family and stuff."

Calleigh bit her lip as she moved the car into reverse and checked her mirrors before pulling out. She meant it when she promised herself that she'd be as honest with these kids as possible, even about something as complicated and undefined as this.

"We used to date," she admitted as she maneuvered the car through the shopping center. "But now we're just good friends."

She glanced in the mirror, seeing Austin purse his lips in thought. But it was Claire's voice that came next.

"Why'd you stop being boyfriend and girlfriend?"

Calleigh breathed out, resigning herself to this innocent interrogation. "It's kind of tough to explain, but...we weren't really sure we wanted the same things. And in relationships it's important to make sure you both want the same things out of life. Otherwise you might really care about each other a lot, but you're not a good match for each other." Calleigh looked at both kids in the mirror, each of them staring out the window in thought. "Does that make sense?"

"Kind of," Claire said thoughtfully, her brows knitting together. "But if you really like each other, maybe you could try to want the same things."

Calleigh smiled, wishing it were that simple. Heck, maybe it should be...

And then Claire innocently added, "If I were a grown-up, I'd be Eric's girlfriend. He's really nice."

Laughing softly as she changed lanes to get on the interstate, Calleigh couldn't help but nod and agree. "Yeah, he sure is."


	8. All At Once

_Note: Another long one while I'm on break. Hope you all enjoy. :)_

* * *

It was a relatively quiet Sunday at the Delko household, with both his sisters' husbands missing due to other obligations and just the immediate family around the dinner table – at least, as quiet as it could be for a Delko get-together with his sisters' five kids floating in and out of the room. The wine was pouring slowly and steadily all evening, and conversation was flowing easily about work, kids, and school, coupled with a few bouts of laughter over old memories. Although Christina had been shooting him knowing smiles and studying him with watchful eyes all night, Eric was pleasantly surprised to discover she'd apparently decided to keep their encounter between them.

"So what's new with you, Eric?" Amelia, his second oldest sister, asked as she set her glass of wine down and relaxed back into her chair. "You've been quiet lately."

Purposefully avoiding eye contact with Christina, Eric kept his eyes focused on Amelia. "Nothing really," he answered, having to direct his focus on scooping up a bite of rice and beef onto his fork when Christina cleared her throat. "Work has been pretty crazy lately. We've had a couple rough cases that were hard not to put in overtime for."

Amelia nodded, but Eric knew she'd pushed his luck when Christina started to speak.

"Sooo, you make it a habit of hanging out with your ex-girlfriends and their kids then?" she asked, raising her brow as a little smirk tugged at one corner of her lips. "That's not new?"

"Wait, what?" Amelia's brows furrowed, looking at Christina on her right and then back across at Eric. "Which of your exes has kids?" And then, trying to think, drawing a blank, and automatically assuming the worst and most dramatic scenario, Amelia's eyes widened. "Is it yours?"

Laughing nervously, he set his fork down on his nearly cleared plate and sat up a little straighter. "Uh, no."

His mother, who had been quiet about the matter since he'd spoken to her a month or two ago, was smiling knowingly. "Calleigh" was all Clorinda had to say.

"Calleigh has a kid?" Amelia's look of confusion deepened as she looked between the three of them and then at their dad, quiet and stuck between the gossip as usual. "Why am I the only one who doesn't know about this?!"

Ignoring her first question, Eric shrugged playfully. "Maybe because no one ever tells you anything," he teased, repeating the phrase she was so often accusing them with.

"Well," Christina interjected, "You wouldn't know unless you accidentally ran into them getting ice cream at a shopping center. 'Cause he hasn't told any of us."

"Can we back up for a minute?" Amelia asked, letting out a groan of frustration. "When did Calleigh have a kid?"

Chuckling, Eric shook his head. "She has two kids, actually." And then, sighing and softening a little at Amelia's exasperated look, he acquiesced with an explanation. "There was this case a while back, single dad went to jail. The kids got kind of attached to Calleigh and went into foster care. She's kinda been watching out for them for a while now and decided to adopt them a little over two months ago."

"Thank you," Amelia said, gesturing emphatically. "Was that so hard?"

"He forgot the part where he goes out for ice cream dates with them and that the kids love him, including the one who wouldn't even look at me."

Eric looked at Christina with wide, accusatory eyes, but was met only with an amused smile from her.

"She's really shy, she doesn't trust many people," Eric explained. "It took a while, believe me."

"So you've been spending a _lot_ of time with them?" Amelia surmised, and Eric took a deep, steadying breath. He really should've just quit while he was already behind here.

"Look, Calleigh's...a friend." He couldn't even say those words normally, and everyone in his family most definitely picked up on it. "And it's really hard suddenly taking on two kids as a single parent, so I'm just trying to help her out. Besides, those kids need as many good people in their lives as they can get. They've been through a lot."

"Well, that's very sweet of you," Amelia said definitively, although he knew by her tone that there was more coming. "And I'm sure it has nothing to do with the fact that you're still crazy about Calleigh."

Satisfied, she took a sip of her wine with a pleased smile and watched Eric sit back in his chair, seemingly resting his defense because he honestly had no reasonable comeback for that one. All he could do was press his lips together to keep from smiling, shrug, and take a much-needed liberal sip from his own glass.

* * *

The lights and sirens had begun to blur as a dull but throbbing ache radiated from the left side of Calleigh's forehead. As she sat on the edge of the back of an open ambulance, she took in the remnants of the scene: mangled car parts, roadside flares that blurred her field of vision, officers moving back and forth, a deputy roping off the area with yellow tape.

"Any history of head injury?" an EMT asked her, shining a bright light into her eyes that made her squint.

It took her a moment to process the question, her mind still foggy and too busy trying to understand what happened. "No," she said after a moment, her brows furrowing without thought. The movement of her forehead sent pain coursing across her skin and soon she felt a slow trickle of blood running down her temple. She pressed the gauze in her hand back to her forehead and the EMT soon took over, pressing another wad on top of hers and applying pressure to get the bleeding to stop. With his free hand, he tested her eye-tracking, nodding approval.

"Don't think you have a concussion," he told her, still surveying her for any other injuries. "But you should follow up with a physician in the next 48 hours to be safe. Do you have anyone who can keep an eye on you at home?"

She was starting to silently wonder if a ten-year-old counted when a CSI department-issued Hummer sped up to the scene, questionably slipping between two cop cars before sliding to a sudden stop. A visibly shaken and worried Eric emerged nearly before the vehicle had even stopped, his brows furrowed with concern as he singled her out from the crowd and quickly jogged over to her.

"I'm fine," she insisted before he could even start.

"You're bleeding," he pointed out, swallowing hard as he took in both the drying and fresh blood along her forehead. He rested a hand on her thigh affectionately without regard for the dozens of potentially friendly faces that might be around them, needing to feel her and know that she was actually okay.

"It's stopping," she insisted, proven right when the EMT moved his hand away to check her wound again. "No stitches, right?" A trip to the ER really hadn't been in her plans for the day, and right now she was hoping she could get right back to booking assholes like the one who had caused this mess rather than waiting hours on end in a hospital wing.

"Looks like it should close up without, yeah," the EMT confirmed.

"Should?" Eric asked skeptically, clearly questioning this guy's competence.

The EMT gave him a look and Calleigh smiled apologetically. "She'll be fine without stitches." He doused a new pad of gauze with alcohol and wiped the area clean before sealing it with two butterfly bandages. "Might need someone to take her home and keep an eye on her just in case, but she doesn't seem to have a concussion."

Eric nodded, thankful when the EMT moved on to see if he was needed elsewhere and left them alone. "You sure you're okay?" he asked, softer and less insistent this time as his eyes searched her for other scrapes or bruises.

"I'm fine, really," she assured, tilting her head and smiling at his concern. But a moment later she was taking in a deep breath, eyes subconsciously trailing over to where she'd crawled out of her Hummer about 30 minutes ago. She really was fine physically, but the accident had rattled her a little, and she could feel her heart race as she took in the scene. It was bad – the stuff of nightmares for cops and EMTs, the kind where they pull up and have to brace themselves for what they're about to see. She could see it on all the astonished and mesmerized faces as they looked at her, miraculously sitting in the back of an ambulance with just a superficial gash to her forehead. And she knew without asking that the suspect she'd been tailing hadn't been as lucky; it was a given based on the condition he'd been in when she'd managed to drag him out of his car as it caught fire and the rush to attend to him.

As she studied the aftermath, the whole thing flashed before her eyes again: tailing the guy as he evaded her and the 3 officers she'd taken with her to question him, speeding down the causeway with lights and sirens, and catching up to him just as he decided to risk countless lives by attempting to take her out. Everything had happened so fast then...the impact with her passenger side skidding her Hummer into a spin, turning it around as she involuntarily slid through a lane before crashing into a curb and flipping. His car had followed hers after the initial impact; he'd lost control and crashed into the back passenger side of her upside down hummer after she'd flipped, the front half of his sports car wedging below her vehicle and crushing the whole front of his. Thankfully, her vehicle had done its job and proved relatively indestructible, rendering her safely locked down in a seatbelt with airbags surrounding her until she'd been able to crawl out.

Eric watched her carefully, following her eyes until he took in her Hummer for the first time since arriving on the scene. He'd been a little single-minded until now, but now he took a moment to try to piece together the scene. Her vehicle was completely upside down, the passenger side partially crumpled from the initial collision, the front of the other car nearly demolished beneath the back of hers and scorched completely through.

"Jesus, Cal," he breathed out, eyes darting back to her. He couldn't help but wrap his arm around her shoulders, relieved when she sighed and closed her eyes for a moment, resting the good side of her head against his chest.

She was fine, really, but that didn't mean she couldn't want to lean against him, solid and steady, for just a moment of solace after what she'd just been through. Laying her hand over his side, she gripped a bit of his shirt into her hand and tugged him closer.

/~/

She'd been given the afternoon off – had been ordered to take it, actually, because Horatio knew that was what it would take. And he'd given Eric a free pass, too, because he was a little too perceptive. Between the potential head injury and the fact that she no longer had the vehicle she'd driven to work that morning, Eric had been all too willing to accept and take her home.

As they strolled through the parking lot outside the lab, Eric hazarded another glance her way. They hadn't talked about it at all. It had gone without saying – that it was absolutely crazy that she'd walked away from that accident with barely a scratch, that for once the perpetrator had gotten the worst of it and not some innocent bystander or sworn officer of the law.

She cast her gaze his way, catching him studying her for what felt like the millionth time that day.

"Eric, I'm _fine_." Her eyes begged him to stop being overly concerned, but when he actually chuckled a little her brows knit together in confusion.

"I know that you're fine," he assured sincerely, eyes drifting off to the skyline before they trailed back to her. "It's just...you know it's crazy, right? That you walked away from that…"

Swallowing hard, Calleigh tucked a stray lock of blonde hair behind her ear before she responded. "Yeah, I know." Head tilted down, she absentmindedly watched the asphalt as they walked, the reality of that statement hitting her hard yet again. She'd been that close to losing everything, to leaving Austin and Claire without a parent figure again...that close to leaving everything up in the air between her and Eric, leaving him with nothing but a million missed opportunities the last several months when they could have made more of their time together.

"Haven't stopped thinking about it, really," she admitted, anxiously rolling her lips as her eyes found his again just as they reached his car. It didn't change anything between them or answer any questions, but...it did make her wonder, and it certainly chipped at the guard she'd carefully constructed between not knowing what they wanted from each other and providing a stable home for Claire and Austin.

He stopped short, standing across from her at the back of his Hummer, her already on the passenger side, him by the driver's. Still holding her gaze, his lips tightened in an understanding smile as he tried to figure out what exactly she meant by that, what all was running through her mind right now...

But after a few moments of silence, Calleigh playfully tilted her head and smiled. "You gonna take me home, or what?"

A comfortable but rather quiet car ride later, Eric and Calleigh were pulling into the driveway of her Bal Harbour home. Despite the fact that Eric had already cut the engine, both of them hesitated as though knowing this wasn't quite like every other time they'd spent time here lately. There were no little feet running around – no talkative mouths to cut through the tension or cute kids to keep them both in check. Just the two of them, feeling like nothing had changed at all even though so much had.

"You're coming in, right?" she asked as she slowly unbuckled her seatbelt.

"Yeah." And then, needing a reason, he added, "The EMT did say someone should keep an eye on you. And you probably shouldn't drive to pick up Austin and Claire later…"

"Yeah, I guess not," she admitted a little too easily, which drew an amused smile from Eric. Several months ago, she would've been driving herself around that afternoon without concern. But with the safety of two kids at the forefront of her mind, she'd been all too willing to let him help until she was completely out of the woods.

With that settled, she wordlessly led him up her walkway and into her home, oddly quiet without the distraction of Austin and Claire's presence. Both of them were especially feeling it as Calleigh hung her keys and set her bag down, the two of them finding themselves in yet another awkward standoff. She'd kissed him just down the hall in her living room less than two weeks ago, yet nothing had been said about it. It had just happened, as things between them often did, but it was the first time she'd let it since Austin and Claire had entered her life. And he had no idea where that left them.

They both nervously broke the silence at the same time, him asking "how's the head?" and her asking "do you want a drink?" Both quickly smiling at their awkwardness, Eric shook his head and Calleigh bit her lip.

"I'm good, thanks," Eric answered.

"It's okay," she said, meeting his gaze for the first time since they'd come inside. "How's it look?"

Taking the opportunity to step closer to her, Eric slowly ran a hand through her hair, pushing the locks that curtained her face behind her ear so he could get a closer look. "Not bad," he said softly, meeting her bright green eyes. "A little bruised."

She smiled reassuringly because that look had entered his eyes again – the one he'd had at the scene of the accident when he realized just how bad it had been, the one that revealed just how much he would have been losing if something had happened to her today.

"You scared me today," he admitted honestly. It made the hairs stand at the back of her neck because of how far they'd come since the last time he'd been like this: when she'd been run off the road years ago and realized for the first time how serious Eric was about her. His _I don't know what I would've done if something would've happened to you today_ had the same effect on her back then. So much had changed, and yet she was still struck by the fact that they still hadn't figured everything out between them yet.

"I know," she said, eyes sympathetically holding his. She didn't need to apologize; she'd just been doing her job. But she did feel bad for the position she'd put him in, potentially losing her with their most recent memories consisting of months of lost moments and uncertainty.

Aimlessly glancing over his shoulder, a different look passed over her features: lighter and more playful, yet every bit aware of the power her words had to change everything between them again. "You know," she began, eyes dragging back to his. "Technically I don't have kids right now." She bit her lip, watching the very moment his eyes grew mischievous and began to question hers. "For a few hours…"

Her hand found his, gently tugging him closer.

"So…" he began, waiting for confirmation of what he suspected she was suggesting. That without the risk of the kids finding out about them, things could be just like they were before – just a guy and a girl with a whole lot of baggage who couldn't stay away from each other, especially not on a day when he'd almost lost her.

"So," she echoed, stepping closer and letting her palms trail up his chest to his shoulders. She watched his eyes darken, watched the smirk that tugged at one corner of his lips as a pleased smile spread across hers.

His hands found her sides, swallowing hard as the realization crashed into him that he'd been all too close to never feeling the warmth beneath her skin again, or never again seeing her smile as his head dipped to kiss her. He took her in meaningfully as his hands smoothed over her sides, skimming over her ribs. He had a lot of questions about tomorrow, but he simply didn't have the heart to ask them today.

Hands drifting down to her hips, Eric moved closer, all too aware of the way her eyes fluttered down to his lips as did. She pushed up onto the tips of her toes, one hand moving to cup the back of his neck as she captured his lips with hers.

Pressing gently, her lips moved against his, urging him closer down to her. Already far more insistent than her thank-you the other night, their lips melded together with familiarity. And yet there was a bit of awe and hesitation there, mostly on his part as what was currently unfolding between them made it even harder to process the day's events.

Tugging him down towards her, she closed the distance between them, his hands finding the small of her back. The way their bodies met drew an appreciative sigh from him as he parted from her, gently resting his nose against hers.

Calleigh smiled appreciatively, knowing he was intentionally avoiding her forehead. Reaching behind her, her hands found his, and as she slipped her fingers between his she took a step back toward the stairs. She pressed a playful kiss to his lips and took another step, then a kiss, then another step, eventually turning to lead him up the stairs.

As they entered her room, she slipped her blazer from her shoulders and hung it on the back of a door, leaving her in a sleeveless button-up blouse that revealed a blossoming purple bruise across her chest. His eyes fell to it immediately, and as he closed the distance between them his fingers rose to gently trace the outline. It was from her seatbelt; he'd seen it a thousand times on car accident victims and in ERs. Her eyes followed his, not entirely surprised to see the physical evidence of the soreness that had settled into her chest and shoulder throughout the day.

"You sure you feel okay?" he asked softly, fingers drifting to her face, where they cupped her jaw and teased the sensitive skin along her neck. His eyes, deep and dark brown, met hers, his brows drawing together in concern.

"Yes," she said confidently, leaning into his touch and pressing her cheek into his palm. A coy smile curved across her lips. "I'll feel better in a minute…"

He chuckled, dipping his head to the opposite side of his hand, opposite her bruise, to press a teasing kiss to her collarbone. Her hand curled around the back of his head in response, knuckles running over the back of his neck.

"Oh yeah?" he teased. "I dunno about that." He pressed another kiss along her collarbone, then one in the hollow it created before her shoulder, then one along her neck: evidence of how slowly and thoroughly he planned to let his lips and hands explore her skin. "Maybe like 20, or 30…"

"Mmm," she let out, halfway just in acknowledgement, half in obstination. Her hands snuck beneath his button-up to skim over his abdomen, muscles contracting beneath her fingertips. "We'll see about that," she challenged, lips finding his as her fingers began slipping buttons loose one by one.

Discarding his shirt behind him, she drew his warm skin to her, fingertips dancing over his spine as her mouth parted for his. As she closed her eyes and allowed herself to just feel, everything felt so simple.

 _They_ felt simple. Easy. Natural. And that was exactly what they both needed today.


	9. Look After You

_Note: I'm usually better about replying to reviews, but my grad program started up and it's been a crazy first week. So to anyone I didn't make it to: THANK YOU so much! I read and love every comment, and appreciate them so much! My updates could be slower from here on out, but I so love writing this story and hope I get some time here and there. Hope you enjoy the long chapter. :)_

* * *

The afternoon light spilling in through her sheer curtains provided quite a different atmosphere than she usually found herself in with him. Late nights in the dark of night and waking up to the soft light of dawn were more common, but it had been quite a while since they'd spent a lazy afternoon tangled in the sheets. In fact, she was pretty sure it hadn't happened since they were dating and their Sundays sometimes consisted of sleeping in a little longer, morning jogs, and trips to the market followed by somehow finding themselves clothed in very little and back in a bed of cool sheets, soft skin, and warm kisses.

She smiled as it came back to her, watching him in the bright glow that made his skin look even even more sun-kissed than usual. From her position next to him, propped up on one elbow and resting her head in her palm, she had the perfect vantage point, the contours of the muscles in his chest and abdomen capturing her attention before they disappeared beneath the same cream-colored sheet wrapped around her chest.

"What?" he asked, smiling up at her as his fingers toyed with her other hand. He pressed his thumb into her palm, massaging a little before he let his fingers weave together with hers.

"I was just thinking it's been a while since we spent an afternoon together," she told him, then thinking better of it when his eyes questioned hers. Their Wednesdays, ice cream, nearly every day at work… "Like this," she clarified, smiling at the smirk that graced one side of his mouth.

"Yeah," he agreed, pushing himself up a little and propping another pillow behind his head. "It's been a long time." There was a hint of regret in his voice, but neither of them were going to go there now.

"Not that I don't enjoy the other afternoons," she admitted, staring at their joined hands as his palm pressed against hers.

"Yeah?"

"Yeah," she assured, hesitantly meeting his eyes.

Although it was like a scene torn straight from his wildest dreams of their future, it was kind of crazy and a little dangerous to know she might be on the same page as him: enjoying an innocent afternoon ice cream date with kids, or dinner together after he'd taken Austin to their weekly basketball game. It was a little different than he'd originally envisioned, but still...

"I know what you meant now," she began a few moments of silence later, earning her a curious look. "It's...attractive," she said, echoing his own words from several weeks ago. "Seeing you like this, with them."

He chuckled, but behind his amusement was something much deeper. "What, you have a thing for guys good with kids now?" he teased, although his eyes watched her carefully.

"I don't know." She rolled her eyes at herself, laughing a little. "Maybe just these kids."

"Your kids," he corrected a little, smiles gracing both their lips.

"Yeah…" she said, still a little in awe, her eyes bright green in the light as they held his. "Is that weird?" she asked, eyes dancing between his mischievously.

"Not at all," he said, not missing a beat, and yet his eyes were glued to her in admiration.

She watched him, realizing this conversation had suddenly become much, much deeper and more revealing than she'd intended. Biting her lip, she resigned herself to changing it – because they were dangerously close to asking questions that should be asked but that had the power to completely change the course of their relationship. And she was absolutely not ready for that right now, whichever way it went.

Resting their joined hands on his bare abdomen, she used him as leverage and leaned in, pressing her lips to his as her body began to cover his again. After a slow press and slide, she'd sandwiched his delectable bottom lip between hers, tugging slightly before he opened his mouth for hers and deepened the kiss. Just as she was further letting her skin kiss his, her sheet slipping further down her chest as his hands found her skin, her eyes fluttered open between kisses and she caught sight of the time on her bedside clock.

Sighing, she rested her forehead against his, turning slightly to avoid the healing gash on her head. "Speaking of those kids…"

"Yeah…" Eric followed her eyes, taking in the time and doing the math between when she usually left work. "Do we need to go?"

"Soon," she told him, smiling as her eyes drifted down to take in their rather unkempt appearance. "I'm gonna take a shower...and put clothes on."

He scowled playfully at her last words, running his fingers up and down her bare arm while he could. "That started out so promising," he teased, eyes following the path of his fingers as he took in her soft skin. Flickering his gaze back to her eyes, he watched a smile grace her lips.

"Sorry to disappoint." Pushing up, she held the sheet to her chest modestly, and he noted the way her blonde hair tumbled down her bare back. "You could always join," she suggested innocently, and he was a goner when she looked back at him, coyly tucking her chin atop her shoulder, her eyes glowing bright green in the afternoon light.

He was unsurprisingly powerless to resist the pull of her, soon finding himself in a stumbling path of warm kisses, seeking hands, laughter, and running water.

* * *

Calleigh pushed aside the half-dry strands of hair that kept clinging to her neck, collecting her hair in one hand and twisting it over one shoulder. They were parked in the infamously long school pick-up line, and she had her eyes peeled for Austin and Claire from the passenger seat of Eric's Hummer. She did this every weekday – albeit from the driver's seat of her own vehicle – and it still didn't stop her from being excited to see them at the end of every day. Today she was especially eager, because there was nothing like a close call to make you appreciate the little-but-big things a little more. And when she spotted the two of them, Claire with her too big purple backpack and little legs struggling to keep up with Austin's, she couldn't help but glance over at Eric with a smile.

They walked a little faster when they caught sight of the Hummer, and Calleigh watched the exact moment both of them looked puzzled at her sitting on the wrong side only to then notice Eric in the driver's seat. Calleigh badly wanted to jump out and hug them, but there was a rule-loving parking attendant ensuring the line cleared quickly so she remained put, laughing as the kids excitedly climbed in with a million questions.

"Eric!" they both let out excitedly, just barely not at the same time. "Is this your car or Calleigh's? Why are you driving us?" Austin asked.

Claire's questions followed like rapid-fire before anyone could answer. "Calleigh, why are you in jeans and not work clothes? And why is your hair all wet? Did you have to take a shower at work?"

Calleigh turned around enough to smile at both of them, the greeting she'd have to settle for for now, and Austin quickly noticed the bandaged gash on her forehead. "What happened to your head?! Are you okay?"

Erid glanced back to make sure everyone had their seatbelts on and then looked at Calleigh to answer as he pulled out of the line and guided the car through the school's loop.

"Well, I got into a little car accident at work today," she began carefully, heart clenching as she looked back over her shoulder and took in their worried faces. She was also very aware of Eric's quick sideways glance at her, and she knew without even looking that he was seriously but silently questioning her use of "little" in that sentence. "I'm totally fine, but since I hit my head they want someone to stay with me and make sure nothing happens, and they don't want me to drive."

"But you're okay?" Claire asked quickly, voice quivering and brows furrowing.

"Completely okay."

"Did it hurt?" she also asked, eyes focusing on the butterfly bandage sealing up the wound on her forehead.

"A little, I think I was too surprised and confused at first," Calleigh admitted, searching for the words to explain to a seven-year-old what being in shock felt like. "Then it just felt kind of like a headache."

"And now Eric's gonna stay with us and drive us around?" Claire asked, brows raising hopefully as she looked between the two of them.

"Just for a day or so," Calleigh told her, an amused smile creeping across her lips at the way Claire pursed her lips in disappointment. It only took a moment before she'd moved on, though, her face lighting up again with an idea.

"Does that mean he's gonna stay with us overnight? Can we have a sleepover?!"

"Ummm," Calleigh accidentally let out, not really meaning to aloud but unable to stop it. She pressed her lips together for a moment, keeping her eyes forward on the road until they flickered over awkwardly to Eric. "Maybe. Eric may need to go spend some time at his own house." She swallowed the lump that had quickly developed in her throat, glancing over at Eric and the amused smirk now tugging at his lips.

He gave her a look that told her he had absolutely no intention of leaving her alone that night, but that he understood her hesitation. While she had no doubt they were both committed to making sure these kids never stumbled upon anything awkward between them or felt confused about what was going on, she couldn't say with any certainty today that she trusted herself with Eric around overnight.

And yet, knowing that, she still found herself longing to close her eyes tonight with the three of them safely and soundly close by.

/~/

Contrary to the beginning of her day, her afternoon and evening had been perfect. They'd gone on a long walk along the boardwalks and park trails that lined the shore along Biscayne Bay, Claire and Austin pedaling ahead on their bikes. They'd stopped on various parts of the beach, searching for shells and watching the birds dive under the waves before walking and biking back home. Eric had insisted on making them Cuban arroz con pollo in order to give Calleigh some much-needed quality time with the kids while she helped them with their homework.

After dinner, they'd busted into the emergency chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream stash and put on a movie, and Calleigh had been briefly lulled to sleep by the sound of Austin and Claire's laughter and Eric's occasional chuckles, mostly at the kids' amusement. She'd woken long enough to tuck the two of them into bed after they'd sweetly said goodnight to Eric, both of them nearly too excited to go to bed once they'd realized Eric was staying here to keep an eye on Calleigh overnight. He'd attempted to explain in the least worrisome way that it was a good idea to wake someone with a head injury up a few times throughout the night to make sure they were still okay in order to justify the overnight stay and room-sharing just in case they noticed.

And now Calleigh was finishing off the much-needed glass of wine Eric had poured her – definitely the only glass she was going to have considering her potential-but-probably-nothing head injury. She swirled the last few sips around in the large glass, cradling it in her hand, and when she looked back up his eyes were on her just as intensely as they had been most of the night – watching with awe as she helped Austin write out answers to his reading questions and later as she took Claire's hand to tuck her in. And she knew exactly why; he'd told her months ago how attractive he found it, and she'd essentially told him the same today. And now they were here, staying together tonight but not _together._

She couldn't help but smile from across the sofa, averting her eyes to the side for a moment.

"You sure this is a good idea?" she asked, biting her lip, which only drew his eyes to her mouth. The mouth his lips had been pressed against earlier and that had explored his skin with lingering kisses.

He chuckled, raising his hands up in surrender. "Nothing's gonna happen. Promise."

She raised a brow, clearly questioning his ability to keep that promise, as she set her now empty glass on the table.

"Seriously," he told her, watching her challenge him with a look. "I'm gonna bring some court documents up to read while you fall asleep 'cause you're exhausted and aren't admitting it, and I'll wake you up to make sure you're good before I fall asleep."

Calleigh rested her elbow along the back of the sofa cushion, propping her head up as she tilted it and watched him with a smile. "Sounds good...but you have court tomorrow? Eric, you shouldn't be here. You should have told me."

But Eric shook his head, pressing his lips together. "I'm exactly where I should be," he told her confidently, holding her gaze as she tried to hide the warm smile spreading across her lips, turning her face into her hand and pressing her mouth against her palm. Her eyes revealed everything, though, sparkling as they flickered back to him.

"Let's go to bed," she said, and a few short minutes later they were standing in her room both wearing a lot more than they usually did on these occasions. Eric luckily had basketball shorts in his car, and she'd thrown on a tank top and a pair of pajama shorts he didn't even realize she owned.

As he stood across from her, shirtless and with a growing smirk at the way she was pursing her lips and continually letting her eyes drop to his chest and abdomen, Calleigh couldn't help herself. She reached out, letting her fingertips caress his smooth, warm skin until she'd wrapped her arms around him. He let his fingers slip through her hair until he'd cradled the back of her head in his hand, tucking it against his chest, his other hand finding the small of her back.

She pressed her forehead against his skin, breathing in deeply and smiling when she detected the faintest trace of her own body wash on his skin. If not for their time together earlier, there was no way in hell she'd have the self-control to keep herself from him right now.

Sighing, she mumbled against his skin. "Claire comes into my room sometimes," she warned him, letting him know even this was a little risky, although she was definitely the one doing the instigating right now.

"Okay." He chuckled a little, his fingers moving against the fabric of her tank at the small of her back.

"She has bad dreams," she added, needing to fill the silence before she found other ways to. "Okay…" She took a deep breath, beginning to pull away from him, but he tugged her back and pressed his lips to hers in a long, lingering kiss, the taste of him still on her lips when he parted.

Smiling, she opened her eyes to take him in: hovering just above her with a pleased smile of his own gracing his lips. "Goodnight, Cal," he said, and she immediately knew what he was doing: saying goodnight to her like _this_ before they put the boundary up.

"Goodnight," she said, unable to resist running her hands up to his neck and guiding him down for one more too-long kiss.

With that, they both climbed into bed, an amused smile on her lips at how weird it felt to be innocently getting into bed with him with this many clothes on considering what had transpired here earlier today. Calleigh reached for her book and Eric retrieved his overflowing folder of court documents from the nightstand, both of them propped up against the generous amount of pillows Calleigh kept on her bed. It had been a long time since they'd done this – casually went to bed together without a torrent of emotions, kisses, and desperate hands – but old habits certainly died hard because in next to no time, her pillows were smashed against his and she was only partially using them. Most of her body was tucked against him and he'd relinquished his papers to one hand, the other wrapping around her to soothingly rub up and down her arm.

The book, it turned out, had been completely pointless, because within a few minutes Eric realized she'd completely fallen asleep. With the book laying open, pressed against her chest, her face was turned into him, resting comfortably against his side.

Smiling, he let his thumb caress her skin once more before stilling. His other hand abandoned his papers for a moment to rescue her book from slipping between them and then he returned his attention to his reading after taking her in once more, all too willing to let her rest and heal while tucked against him.

/~/

"Calleigh?"

The voice from the hall came a little before midnight, when Eric was still brushing up on the case he'd been summoned to court for and Calleigh was still sleeping restfully against him. Eric lifted his eyes, briefly contemplating moving into a less incriminatory position before deciding against startling her.

Soon a little hand was curling around the doorknob of Calleigh's cracked door, quickly followed by Claire's head peeking in.

"Hey, kiddo," Eric greeted warmly but quietly, drawing a smile from Claire as she hesitantly stepped into the room. "Everything okay?"

Claire nodded, eyes flickering over Calleigh's sleeping features.

"Did you have a bad dream?"

She shook her head, one corner of her lips curving upward. "I woke up and couldn't fall back asleep," she whispered, mindful of the fast asleep person in the room. "I wanted to make sure Calleigh was okay."

"She's good," Eric assured, now all too aware of the way Claire's perceptive blue eyes were dancing between the two of them. She'd clearly noticed the closeness, but if she thought it odd, she didn't give any indication.

"Did you wake her up and check yet?" she asked quietly, now making her way over to his side of the bed to peer over at Calleigh.

"Not yet." Eric set his work aside for the night. "I was about to and then get to sleep. How about you do it?"

She grinned, beginning to climb onto the tall bed, and Eric carefully hoisted her over the both of them to sit on the open side. He watched on as she adorably laid down on her stomach and propped her head up on her hands, then moved a gentle hand onto Calleigh's shoulder.

"Calleigh," she said a little louder than their hushed whispers, her hand gently tapping.

Calleigh was quick to let her eyes flutter open, taking in Claire's mussed brown hair and blue eyes, dark in the dim light, with a smile. "Hey, pretty girl," she greeted, clearing a bit of sleep that had roughened her voice. "You okay?"

Claire nodded enthusiastically, smiling as she received her confirmation that Calleigh was fine but still looking to Eric for assurance. His eyes danced over Calleigh in response, clearly tired but seemingly fine.

"She was worried about you," he explained, and the soothing, low roughness of his voice would've been enough to completely draw her in had Claire not been there. "You good? Need anything?" His eyes instinctively examined the gash on her forehead.

"I'm good," she assured with a smile, eyes lingering on him meaningfully before she turned her attention back to Claire.

Calleigh ran a hand over Claire's brown hair she wished she'd braided before bed, because now it was a tangled mess she'd have to sort in the morning. "You were worried about me?" Calleigh asked sweetly, tucking Claire's long locks behind her ear.

Claire nodded again. "I couldn't sleep," she admitted, shrugging, and Calleigh's heart completely melted at the look of concern on her young face. It was completely written all over her worried eyes and pressed lips: that the one person who'd given her a bit of stability and a lot of love after the last several rocky years had been in jeopardy today, and as much as Calleigh tried to play it off like it was nothing to keep this from happening, Claire was obviously still a little rattled by it.

She didn't have any words in response, brows just furrowing with emotion as she wrapped her arms around Claire and pulled her in close. Her lips found Claire's forehead, murmuring reassurance against her skin. "I'm not going anywhere, sweetheart."

And as Claire burrowed in, clearly not leaving any time soon, Calleigh let the arm that wasn't wrapped around her find Eric's. Her fingers slipped down his arm until they found his, weaving together and letting her palm kiss his. Eric smiled at the contact, his eyes meeting hers and occasionally taking in Claire's now peaceful face.

At the next voice at the door, Calleigh quickly but regretfully let go of his hand.

"Is everything okay?" Everyone averted their eyes to Austin now in the doorway, hands rubbing at his still half-asleep eyes. When he pulled his hands away, he was still quite the sight: narrowed eyes taking in the three of them piled into the bed, his dirty blonde curls a mess of bedhead that definitely rivaled Claire's.

"Everything's fine," Calleigh assured, laughing a little at the second interruption. "Why aren't you asleep?"

"I dunno." Austin stepped into the room, already eyeing the somehow still open spot on the other side of Claire. "I could hear you all talking and at first I was worried something was wrong," he admitted, gaze drifting up to her bandage. "But then I realized you were all just in here without me…"

Softly shaking her head, Calleigh laughed and then extended an arm, motioning for him. "Come on up."

Finally grinning, Austin launched himself onto the bed and threw his legs beneath the covers. Finding one of what used to be Calleigh's pillows before she'd turned Eric and a single pillow into her only support, he settled in and turned toward the three of them.

"I knew it was gonna be like a real sleepover." Claire giggled, eyes dancing excitedly between Calleigh and Eric, which drew an amused chuckle from him.

"Okay," Calleigh let out decidedly after following Claire's eyes to Eric, her gaze lingering a little longer than she intended to. She couldn't help but smile either – because this _was_ rather unusual and special for them, and he looked rather adorable next to her in a bed now full of kids. Effectively redirecting her attention, she added, "You guys need to get back to sleep. You have school in the morning."

"Ohhhh-kay." Claire sighed, resting an arm over her chest and resigning herself to settling down.

Eric reached for the bedside light and flipped it off. "Goodnight," he said, the word echoing back to him times three.

And in the safety of the dark, his hand found Calleigh's arm and rested over it, his lips silently pressing a kiss to her shoulder. He could practically feel her smile in the dark, her hand reaching up to let her fingers smooth over his bicep.

He wasn't the least bit annoyed by the interruption, not even when it was the only chance he'd had to actually sleep beside her in months. There was no way he could be annoyed when his heart swelled so much it hurt at the sight of Claire snuggling up to the crook of Calleigh's neck in the dark, Calleigh happily resting her head atop Claire's. It was crazy for him now to think back on that day several months ago when he'd been so surprised she was adopting these kids, because now he absolutely couldn't imagine her without them in her life – or his, he realized suddenly and forcefully, the magnitude of it stealing his breath for a moment.


	10. The Tipping Point

_Note: Thanks so much for all the review love! I say it every time but every review seriously means so much to me. I managed to squeeze in a little writing time over the past few days and got a chapter finished for you all._

* * *

As Eric walked into the ballistics lab, two things immediately caught his attention. The first was that Calleigh seemed uncharacteristically anxious; her lips were slightly pursed as she nervously bit the inside of her cheek, and although she was sitting on a stool with apparent calm from a distance, her leg was bouncing a million times a minute. The second was that although she was blankly staring at the computer screen ahead of her, a full report sat awaiting her attention on the screen.

"Hey," he greeted, snapping her out of it as he walked around to stand adjacent to her side of the table.

"Hey." His presence made her genuinely smile, but as her eyes returned to the screen her brows furrowed at the report that she'd suddenly actually seen.

"How's the Goddard case?" he asked, leaning forward to rest his forearms on the counter.

"Still a bust," she concluded. Her eyes trailed over the end of the report and back to him, smiling when she realized he was watching her with soft eyes and an amused smile. "What?"

"You're nervous," he said knowingly, nodding toward that right leg of hers that kept bouncing every time she was the least bit idle. "That or you've had too much caffeine...but I'm going with nervous."

Her eyes narrowed on him, playfully threatening, but she couldn't ditch the smile that he'd drawn out from her.

"Austin and Claire have interviews today with their case manager, and she's talking to their teacher and social worker and a psychologist and who knows what else…"

"And you're worried because…?"

"Because everyone has to agree that me adopting them is in their best interest leading up to our court date in a few weeks." She sighed, pressing the home button on her phone to check the time and obsessively make sure she hadn't missed a notification.

Eric eyed her, still confused about why she was nervous. "Again...and you're worried because?" He was teasing at this point, a little smirk tugging at one side of his mouth. "Those kids are doing incredible with you. There's no reason why they shouldn't stay with you permanently."

Calleigh sighed, closing her eyes for just a moment as she let his words wash over her. "Thanks, but...you never know what they're gonna dig up in these things. What if they think I don't spend enough time with them because of my job? What if they decide they don't want them with a single mom?"

He couldn't help himself; with playful eyes and a handsome smirk he couldn't control he told her, "I mean...my offer still stands…"

He watched the moment the realization washed over her face with a smirk of her own, her lips pursing to try to hide it. He was joking with her, she knew that. And yet she felt the weight of knowing that he also absolutely wasn't, the confirmation that months ago when he'd asked if she wanted any help with adopting Austin and Claire, he didn't _just_ mean in terms of getting the adoption to go through or being a character witness. He meant the whole raising two kids thing, too…

She nodded slowly in understanding, still trying to conceal the smile attempting to break across her lips, and nervously met his eyes before averting hers again. "I want them to know that I can do it on my own, but… I'll keep that in mind."

Eyes glued to her, his intense amusement over her reaction slowly turned more earnest. "Seriously, Cal, it would be crazy for anything to come up now," he assured her. "Austin is getting involved in a bunch of stuff, Claire is actually starting to talk to people…their grades are already up. They're in the best place they can be, and all those people will immediately see that."

She knew he was a little biased, and yet his words still made her feel a little better. "Thank you," she said gratefully, tilting her head. And despite how much she wanted to linger under his watchful gaze and stay wrapped up in his positive words, she had a whole table of guns to test-fire for cases that desperately needed her attention. His eyes followed hers to the backlog and he pushed himself away from the table.

"Let me know how it goes?" he requested.

"I will," she assured, smiling sincerely as he began to turn from her.

Pausing suddenly, he shifted his weight back towards her, remembering something that should have been more important than it currently was. "Oh, and let me know if you find anything…" he added, eyes drifting over the firearms that covered the table.

She smiled as she picked up a revolver, amused that work had so quickly become an afterthought. "I will," she said again, gaze lingering on his retreating form.

* * *

As Calleigh made her way through Harding Elementary School, she couldn't help but notice how small everything looked. It had been like walking into a different world when she'd first brought the kids here for registration. But the building of halls lined with short cubbies and backpack hooks hung barely past her waist-level was quickly becoming normal to her, along with math homework and bedtime stories.

Pushing the door of the administrative offices open, she smiled the moment Austin and Claire's eyes found hers and lit up. She only mildly paid attention to their case worker sitting adjacent to them, too caught up in Claire hurriedly pulling out a book she'd made _all by herself_ in class today and Austin's recounting of a basketball game at recess. Once they'd settled down, she finally turned toward Sheri with a little laugh at their rowdyness.

"Hi," she finally greeted, realizing Sheri had been observing them with a smile.

"Hi Calleigh, how are you?" Sheri asked as she stood.

"I'm great," she said honestly, eyes purposefully dancing over the kids. "How about you?"

"Doing well. Let's duck in here and I'll give you an update."

Calleigh nodded, turning her attention back to the kids for a moment. "Hey guys, Sheri and I are going to talk for a few minutes. Got any homework you can start on?"

Austin sighed dramatically, slowly beginning to unzip his backpack as Claire dug out her spelling workbook. Once they started to get settled, Calleigh followed Sheri into one of the relatively empty offices, each of them settling into a chair.

"I don't want to take you away from them for too long, but I just wanted to give you an update," Sheri began, settling the large binder of paperwork into her lap. "They both seem to be doing wonderfully. Their grades are up, Austin's teacher said his reading has improved dramatically in just a few months, Claire is talking and making friends, they're getting more involved… The psychologist said they seem more secure and stable. Whatever you're doing, keep doing it."

With a relieved smile, Calleigh's eyes drifted to the window of the office, where outside she could see Claire scribbling in her book. Austin, a little more aware of what these meetings meant, was both trying to concentrate on his work while also nervously watching them. At her smile he relaxed a little, his eyes hopeful as he dutifully turned his attention back to the page before him.

"They're really good kids," Calleigh told her, eyes soft and a little emotional as she fixed them back on Sheri. "I just hope I can make life a little easier for them than it has been."

Sheri smiled at that. "I don't see any reason why anyone involved would recommended against your petition for adoption going through."

Calleigh nodded, breathing out a sigh of relief as she let it sink in.

"Just curious, though…" Sheri began, brows furrowing. "Who's Eric?"

Calleigh pressed her lips together in thought, not sure why she was asking and also because that was a very complicated question these days. "We work together. He's actually the one who came and talked to you...as a character witness sort of thing, I guess."

"Right," Sheri said in remembrance, smiling both because it had been totally unnecessary and because she felt a little better. From what she could recall, he'd been incredibly nice, had really believed in Calleigh, and seemed to what what was best for the kids – which he had no doubt meant living with her.

"Why?"

Sheri opened the binder in her lap, fishing out the piece of paper of many that Claire's teacher and psychologist had turned in so they could get a sense of her interests and well-being. "Claire drew this," she said, handing it over to Calleigh.

Despite how it kind of looked, Calleigh couldn't help but smile at the innocent picture that seemed to be from Claire's recent memories. She'd drawn herself and Austin on bikes, happily riding on a paved path with the ocean and sun in the background, Calleigh and Eric walking not too far behind. It awkwardly looked like a happy little family outing drawn out on paper like that, and yet it had felt anything but awkward at the time. Just the two of them strolling along after a long day when he'd felt the need to keep an eye on her after her accident, while also giving the kids the bike ride they'd been begging for for days.

"Oh," Calleigh let out, laughing a little nervously at the implication. "We're not...together. That's not what this is."

"Our psychologist was a little concerned at first," Sheri said. "When kids draw pictures like this with people we don't know about, it's a red flag...but I know you and I know how well those kids are doing."

Calleigh nodded, appreciative eyes drifting between Sheri's and the paper before her. "Eric got invested in them, too," she began to explain. "He worked their dad's case and he's kind of a sucker for kids anyway," she admitted with a smile. "He's a good friend, too, and he's just trying to help me out a little and give them another positive influence in their lives."

"I think that's great," Sheri began, though her eyes held a flicker of concern as they trailed over the drawing again. "Just remember that kids form deep attachments really quickly, especially foster kids like Austin and Claire that have been through a lot and been bounced around. And if those attachments don't turn out to be as permanent as they thought, it can be really difficult for them."

"I know," Calleigh assured softly. She did know, and it was exactly why she'd been so protective about Eric getting involved with them in the first place. But it had happened so naturally and they adored him, and while she didn't necessarily think that was a problem in and of itself, maybe her protective gut instinct had been right… "I'll keep that in mind."

"They're doing great," Sheri assured, sensing the shift in Calleigh's demeanor. "Really, I'm just being cautious. It's easy for kids to get the wrong idea, especially when they haven't had an ideal home life for a long time."

"No, you're right," Calleigh agreed, taking in that picture yet again before she handed it back. Claire had definitely been a little more attached to Eric ever since their little sleepover, and while she thought she'd been clear-cut with the kids about their relationship, she knew in actuality they were anything but. "It's important to think about."

"Go on and take them home," Sheri urged, nodding towards the kids just outside who appeared to be getting distracted from their tasks and arguing over sides of the coffee table. "I'll let you know about next steps before court. We usually do one last home visit."

"Thank you."

Gathering her purse and keys, Calleigh met the kids in the waiting room, perceptively picking up on the way Austin had been sliding his sister's papers away from "his" side of the table. But at her entrance, Austin worriedly looked up, concerned that despite the smiles and apparent good moods of everyone, something bad was going to happen again.

"We're still going home with you, right?" he asked quietly, trying to get an honest answer before Sheri emerged from the office.

"Of course," Calleigh said nonchalantly and very assuredly, which drew a smile from Austin's features. "We have some leftover chicken cacciatore calling our names."

And then as the kids haphazardly shoved their belongings back into their backpacks and happily marched out of school, thankfully out of earshot of Sheri, Claire asked, "Is Eric coming over for dinner?"

Calleigh sighed, closing her eyes as words about attachments and wrong ideas replayed through her head.

"No," she said, collecting herself as she took a few hurried steps to catch up with them as they exited the school. "Eric comes on Wednesdays." She playfully tugged on Claire's french-braided hair, getting her to look back up at her. "It's not Wednesday."

"Sometimes he comes on other days," Claire challenged, giving her a look that made Calleigh realize yet again these kids were too smart for their own good.

"Sometimes," she admitted, swallowing hard. "But Eric also needs to spend time at his own home and with his own family."

Claire shrugged it off, but Calleigh noticed the nearly imperceptible purse of her lips and drop of her shoulders. She was a little disappointed. And as they all climbed into her SUV, Calleigh had the sobering realization that this wasn't at all as simple as she'd begun to think – and that maybe they needed to keep their lives a little more black-and-white even when things were anything but.


	11. The Blessed Unrest

_Note: Thank you all so much for the last round of reviews! I love taking study breaks to come on and read them. ❤️ Y'all have NO idea how badly I've been dying to write over the past few weeks, but school has been absolutely insane. I've actually been waking up super early to steal a few minutes of writing time, and then I finnnnnally got the chance to work on this last night. Hope you all enjoy._

* * *

Making his way into the kitchen from the hallway of his parents' home, Eric paused before slowly opening up the pantry. He was really trying not to feel like an overgrown college kid...but the dryer was taking forever, he still had another load waiting patiently in the washer, and lunch time was rapidly approaching.

"Some things never change, huh, mijo?"

He turned to find his mother breezing in behind him and smiled mischievously.

"I guess not," he admitted as he watched her reach for a glass from the cupboard. "Hopefully most do though… I don't think I could've kept up with college Eric for long."

He chuckled at Clorinda's reaction: a slow shake of her head and a drawn-out eyeroll. "I don't want to know." And then, nodding towards the fridge, "There's pasta from last night if you're hungry."

Smiling, Eric slowly closed the pantry and stepped over to the refrigerator, searching high and low until he'd found the container. A pleased smile graced Clorinda's features as he piled a bowl high with the pasta-chicken-veggie combo and he knew exactly what was running through her mind: one of her babies back home, doing laundry and eating her out of house and home all over again.

"Don't get used to this," Eric teased. "My new washer comes tomorrow. But thank you for letting me use yours."

"You're welcome," she said warmly, finally filling her glass with water. "I'm surprised you didn't just use Calleigh's…"

Eric gave her a look as he set the microwave and shut the door. "Really?" He raised his brows. That was her way of fishing? "Contrary to popular belief, Calleigh and I are not together and I don't spend every waking minute over there, let alone do laundry there."

Except once or twice, he thought silently, when they were actually, officially dating and he'd slowly accumulated enough dirty clothes from joint runs and successive nights spent there that she'd offered up her utilities…

"No?" Clorinda pressed her lips together thoughtfully.

"No."

"How is Calleigh?"

"She's good." He couldn't say it without a smile, which was her first indication that there was more to the story. "Kids are good."

She nodded, waiting for him to continue, and an amused smile played across his lips as he gave her a look. "What?"

"That's it?"

"Yes," he insisted, retrieving the bowl from the microwave after it had beeped.

"You're still spending time with them?"

"I am." He watched her purse her lips to keep from smiling and then tilt her head as though studying him. "What?" he asked again, after shoveling a forkful into his mouth.

"We've been through it before," she told him, her accent growing even thicker as she grew more insistent. "I know you. You're going to get attached. You already _are_ attached."

"I'm invested in their well-being, yes," he half-agreed.

She tilted her head further, challenging him, but he only widened his eyes and shrugged.

"And Calleigh?" she asked, turning to lean her forearms onto the counter. "You're just invested in her...well-being?"

He _literally_ stuck his tongue in his cheek at that, desperately trying not to let the amused chuckle that so badly wanted to rise in his throat escape. "Something like that."

At his mother's deep sigh, Eric realized maybe he should be a little easier on her. Partially unlike his sisters, she wasn't really digging for gossip; she was just worried about him.

"You know," he began in between bites, "Calleigh and I actually know exactly where we stand and we're good with it."

"Oh really?" She raised a brow, because she had a feeling that if the two of them were actually good with it, she'd be seeing them together at family functions like she used to: secret smiles, his discreet touches to the small of her back because he could never keep his hands off her for long, and her eyes lighting up for him in a way that Clorinda knew her reserved, calm demeanor did not allow very often. "And where is that?"

Eric gave her another look because while he didn't mind her checking in on him, he wasn't particularly keen on getting into the details of his and Calleigh's very complicated pseudo-break-up and current predicament. But she stood her ground, waiting, and he caved under her maternal gaze in a short enough time that College Eric would've made fun of.

"Calleigh and I care about each other very much," he began, carefully collecting his words as his mother pressed her lips together to hide a smile. Understatement of the century. "But we may want different things out of our not-so-distant futures, so we know that it may not be in everyone's best interest to be together."

Clorinda narrowed her eyes at that, attempting to read between the lines to no avail. She wasn't going to pry further, but now the gears were turning in her mind and she was trying to piece together what she knew about her son and Calleigh to figure it out.

"And in the meantime, we enjoy spending time together and I care about Austin and Claire. I mean, I watched Austin help us arrest his dad. I want to make sure they're doing okay."

"Mmm," was all she let out, not believing for a second that this was at all like the many other family members and friends related to cases that he'd taken an interest in over the years. "And in the meantime, neither of you are moving on, and you and those kids are becoming more and more attached to each other…"

His eyes drifted from hers, soft and concerned, back to the counter before him. "Well, it's not like I'm going anywhere," he said, knowing that was fully true. Whatever happened in his future, not that he could envision it changing anytime soon, he'd absolutely still check in on Austin and Claire.

"No, I suppose not," she admitted, pausing for a minute before she continued. "Not really what I meant, though."

He knew exactly what she meant. Because despite the fact that they weren't together, and despite every attempt to brush this off as taking an interest in some kids who had a rough start, he unfortunately had to admit that his mother was spot-on. He was attached, and not in his usual way of getting overly invested in someone who needed help. Instead, whatever this connection was had his heart absolutely melting every time Claire spoke to him, had him beaming with pride when Austin nailed a three-pointer at the court, and, most notably, had him constantly chasing the feeling of completeness and warmth that had filled him the night he stayed with Calleigh tucked against him, both kids piled into the bed.

* * *

Calleigh absentmindedly stirred her coffee with a spoon, watching the plain black coffee swirl with cream before fading to lovely shade of mocha. Lifting the mug to her lips, she inhaled the comforting hazelnut aroma as she turned, resting her back against the crime lab's break room counter. She took a careful sip and let the coffee hit her taste buds. While their break room coffee certainly wasn't anything special, it was comforting and familiar – something she could count on to stay the same, no complications or surprises. And she needed that today, when yesterday's meeting with the kids' case manager had been both incredibly positive and overwhelming all at once. She had a lot to think about, and after a peaceful but pensive night with the kids, her mind hadn't been able to stop. She hadn't slept well, and even with the extra dab of concealer beneath her eyes, she was worried it would show.

She straightened a little as someone entered the break room, and despite her conflicted emotions over that very person right now, her eyes couldn't help but brighten a little as they landed on Eric.

"Hey." She smiled softly and a little sadly, taking another, slower sip from her cup.

"Morning," he said, a little flirtatious in that way they could never help.

Calleigh watched his shoulders a little more intently than she should've as he retrieved his mug from the cupboard, noting the way his fitted button-up clung to his strong frame. As he moved toward her, she averted her eyes, distracting herself with taking another sip from her mug as he filled his own from the coffee pot right next to her.

"So how'd it go?" he asked, drawing her eyes back to him.

"Really well," she said, nodding slowly as he set the pot back onto the hot plate. He studied her, noting the odd way in which her happiness seemed to be tempered down with a little something else.

"Yeah?" he asked, hoping for more – and, she couldn't help but notice, remaining relatively close.

"Yeah." She finally smiled a little more, her shoulders relaxing. "In everyone's professional opinion, they're doing great...academically, socially...everything."

"Told you." His eyes softened on her, an amused smile tugging at his lips. "That's awesome. I'm not surprised."

Her lips curved at his words, and despite the conflict coursing through her she couldn't help but hold his gaze.

"Hey, what are you guys doing tonight?" Eric asked, moving back just slightly to mirror her position against the counter on the other side of the coffee pot. "There's this Cuban festival in Little Havana."

"The one we went to last year?" she asked, recalling an evening of music and so much Cuban food she'd thought her stomach might actually explode.

"Yeah." He took a quick sip from his mug, testing the temperature, and chuckled at the memory. "I'm still impressed by how many tamales you took down, by the way."

"Hey, I was starving and they were really good," she defended seriously, which just made him more amused, and a little smile of her own crept across her lips. The thought of strolling around a festival with Eric and the kids was appealing, showing them a bit of the culture that made Miami unique and eating far too much Cuban food all over again. But Claire's picture and the thoughts that had kept her up last night danced through her mind again and she pressed her lips together. Black and white, she reminded herself. And going on what felt all too much like a date with Eric with Austin and Claire in tow was anything but black and white.

"They would love it," she began regretfully, "but they have a ton of homework, and Austin has a science project to work on…" She smiled sadly, watching the disappointment etch across his face as he nodded in understanding. "I'm sorry."

"No, I get it," he assured, although his eyes were carefully watching her, taking in the conflict and confusion that even Calleigh couldn't hide. Something was off. "It is a school night."

"Yeah," she agreed halfheartedly. "Tomorrow though...basketball and dinner?" Her hopeful eyes held his and he smiled, slowly beginning to nod.

"Of course."

She smiled guardedly, then swallowing hard before she asked, "Can we talk after? Maybe over a drink?"

He studied her, brows furrowing slightly at her hesitation as he pieced together the context clues. Usually her asking him to stay for a drink was a good thing; in fact, it had been the precursor to many unexpected nights together because resisting each other was ultimately impossible, especially once they were already in the same place. And even once Austin and Claire had entered the picture, when there was no chance of that happening, there was still the undercurrent of knowing it would have...and it did the first opportunity they had to themselves alone.

He had the feeling that something had shifted, though, and this drink seemed to be about _actually_ talking unlike so many others in the past. Eyes drawing over her features, he took in the hint of sadness her eyes held, the way the corners of her lips attempted to curve up in false reassurance, and knew.

"Yeah, of course," he said, brows still furrowed, and she knew that he knew something was up. "I should get to work," he added regretfully, thinking of the five case files that were currently open on his computer.

"Right." Calleigh bit her lip, pushing away from the edge of the counter. "I'll see you later."

She watched him leave, all too aware of the worry in his eyes as he took her in one last time before disappearing from the break room.

* * *

As Calleigh met Eric on her back porch with a bottle of wine in one hand and two wine glasses balanced between her fingers in the other hand, Eric couldn't help but notice she'd thrown on an adorably baggy wrap-style sweater to combat the unusually cool weather currently sweeping through Miami. He was grateful for the weather for a lot of reasons, but he was especially so right now; it meant that the yellow tank-top he'd been eyeing her in all night because it showed off her skin and the green in her eyes had a little help in shielding her irresistible skin from him.

On second thought, he realized as she settled into the half-reclined porch chair next to him, the whole looking cozy under the night sky thing was really working for her, and suddenly he was wishing the two of them, the night sky, and a bottle of wine were here under slightly different circumstances.

"What?" Calleigh asked, feeling his eyes on her as she poured them each a glass.

"Nothing," he assured half-heartedly, taking his glass from her and watching as she settled into the corner of her chair, wrapping the open front of her sweater fully around her small frame. "It's actually kind of cold."

"Yeah." She sighed, taking in the peaceful, cool evening from her little slice of suburban paradise, her small but nicely landscaped yard giving way to her neighbors', the partly cloudy, partly starry sky above them. Taking a slow sip of her wine, she pressed her lips together and slowly let her eyes drift to him. "Before we get too busy talking about the weather…" she joked a little nervously, smiling sadly as his eyes held hers. "I, um, just wanted to talk about us, and the kids, and...I don't even know." She shrugged, shaking her head as she tried to find answers in his eyes.

Brows knitting together, Eric leaned forward a little. "I know we don't have the most clear…" He paused, searching for the words as he motioned between them. He'd been going to say relationship, but that sounded utterly awkward...

She let out an anxious breath, actually laughing a little hollowly as he attempted to describe them.

"Yeah," she agreed, nodding to let him know she knew where he was going.

"Whatever it is," he continued with a guarded smirk, "I thought we were good."

"We were," she assured seriously, brows furrowing together to mirror his. "We are," she corrected a moment later. "It's just…" Biting her lip, she fished the folded up piece of construction paper from earlier in the day from her pocket. Unfolding it once then twice, she handed it to him, her eyes heavy as she watched him carefully. Her gaze clung to his features, taking in the twitch of his lips and the emotion that filled his eyes and completely gave him away, and she knew for sure that none of this could be innocently written off.

"She's been drawing stuff like this," Calleigh slowly said, eyes flickering to the paper still in his hands. The crayon marks etched out a perfect little dinner scene; Claire had drawn herself, Austin, Calleigh, and Eric together at the table, what looked like two pizzas sitting on the table between them all. Up top, the assignment prompt spelled out in bold letters "My favorite day of the week" and Claire had dutifully written "Wednesday" – in pink, of course.

"I know it could be just that she's drawing everyone she really likes, and it could be completely innocent, but…" She shrugged, at a loss.

"It's not?" he finished for her, both knowingly and regretfully. His eyes danced over the crayon marks again.

"I don't think so." She bit her lip again. "She's attached to you… They both are." Sighing, she watched as he set the paper on the table between them, his eyes lingering on it. "I don't want them getting the wrong idea about us."

Eric bit the inside of his lip, eyes studying hers carefully. "Is it the wrong idea?" he questioned, eyes an honest mix of hesitancy and hopefulness. "I mean, we've never really been the best at staying away from each other…"

She pressed her lips together to keep from smiling at that. "No, we haven't," she admitted, unable to let her eyes meet his for fear of being flooded with a thousand memories she might get lost in. She took a calming sip of wine, letting the soothing red crash over her taste buds. "That's why I'm wondering if we need to keep things a little more clear-cut between us...and them."

Eric nodded, not in agreement but at least in understanding as her worries washed over him. It was why she'd been hesitant to go with him yesterday, why she'd seemed a little distant and guarded the past few days, and probably why she'd been so reluctant to let him start practicing with Austin in the first place.

"We stopped seeing each other for a good reason, right?" she continued, finding his eyes again.

"Right." He was reluctant to admit it, but she was right, and it had been a very mutual though not very final decision. It had been more of a preventative measure than anything else, keeping both of them from falling any deeper and harder than they already were – a task that seemed impossible even amid potentially very different ideas about their futures. And apparently it had been, because she'd found herself letting him take her home just two weeks later and neither of them had ever had the slightest inclination to move on. Still, he had to remind himself...there had been a reason.

"We may want different things," he reminded himself out loud. "You weren't sure what you wanted, and I was…"

Calleigh nodded, slowly releasing the breath she'd been holding as he spoke. Deep down, she'd always known what he wanted, and that he wanted it all with her...what she hadn't been sure of was if she wanted the exact same thing.

"I know you haven't changed your mind." She smiled sadly but knowingly, watching a similar look pass over his features.

"No," he assured, taking a long drag from his glass before setting it back on the table between them. He'd relaxed a little into their heavy but surprisingly easy conversation now, settling into the comfortable reclined chair. "You know I'd do this all with you in a heartbeat." He nodded back toward the house, and she knew exactly what he meant: the kids, life together...everything. He'd literally offered to marry her if it'd help her adopt them, and even before that he'd offered to help in whatever way she needed. "But I definitely want more kids," he told her, confirming what she already knew. "Babies," he added with a mischievous smile, triggering one from her.

His love of kids had always been equally adorable and anxiety-inducing for her, because it kind of made her consider things she never thought she would…

"What about you?" he asked after a moment, the question drawing silence from both of them.

If anything, she was more confused now with Austin and Claire in her life, questioning everything she thought she knew about families, and everything she thought she wanted… They'd both completed her life in some ways while leaving her longing in others, and it was a lot to process, let alone speak about in a way that would affect her future – _their_ future.

"I'm not sure," she began honestly but reluctantly, taking in a deep breath. "I'm about to turn 38, I don't even know if I could."

The fact that she'd gone there first wasn't lost on him, and his brows furrowed as he all too accurately zeroed in on that.

"Calleigh," he began softly but quickly. "You know, you used to say you weren't sure what you wanted… Now it's that you aren't sure you can – which, speaking of, plenty of women have kids into their forties."

"I know," she assured, attempting a sad smile. "My point is I still don't know, I'm still adjusting to having Austin and Claire and they need time to settle in, and I'm running out of time."

The silence that followed was thick as she held his eyes intently.

"I don't want to keep you from what you want, from moving on…" Calleigh said, her voice cracking a little under the emotion.

"I don't really want to move on," he admitted, a touch of frustration showing in his tone. "Do you?"

"No," she answered quickly and honestly, biting her lip.

"So," he began, trying to come to terms with the fact that they still hadn't figured anything out and Calleigh seemed even less certain about what she wanted out of her and their future than before. And not for the first time, he had the feeling there was an undercurrent of longing there she might not even be aware of, something she wouldn't quite admit to herself.

"So," she continued, sighing as she tucked her wrap snugly around her waist. "We're right back where we were."

"Not exactly," he said, a conflicted smile spreading across his lips despite the heaviness of their conversation. "You have two awesome kids."

She smiled sadly, knowing they'd figured out nothing but taking some comfort in that.

"And," he continued, surprised by how easily the decision came despite every part of him screaming that it was wrong. "I don't want to give them the wrong idea, or set them up to get hurt, so…" He breathed in deeply, returning his eyes to hers. "We'll keep things simple."

Calleigh swallowed hard, nodding at the decision. It was exactly what she'd been planning on, exactly what she'd decided was right, and yet it filled her with a pang of disappointment she'd tried to prepare herself for. She'd expected him to resist her a little harder and push for a different outcome, but her heart clenched a little at the realization why he hadn't – because he loved those kids nearly as much as she did, and he'd set aside his feelings and desires for their well-being in a heartbeat. It kind of took the breath from her for a moment.

"I'm gonna head home," he said decidedly, taking his last sip of wine before he stood.

"Okay," she breathed out softly, closing her eyes as he leaned down and pressed his lips to her forehead. She reveled in it, remaining there as he moved to press his forehead against hers, lingering there, his hand cupping her cheek as he took her in one last time.

"Goodnight, Cal." He let his fingers slip from her skin and heard her sigh.

"Goodnight," she said softly, feeling more conflicted as she found herself alone on her porch, finishing her glass with nothing but the night sky to keep her company.


	12. Once Upon Another Time

_Note: Thanks again for all the reviews! Man, y'all are rough on Calleigh._ 😝 _I think this chapter might help show where she's coming from. Sorry it's been a little while, but this one is another long one so hopefully that makes up for it a little!_

* * *

 _A few weeks later_

Calleigh was supposed to be buried in her case papers, reviewing what they'd deemed a murder-suicide in the Glades from several months ago before court in a few days, and yet her eyes kept curiously drifting to Austin across from her at the kitchen table. He was also supposed to be buried in work – math homework, to be exact – and yet he was turning his pencil over in his hands, eyes flickering to her every few seconds.

"Can I ask you a question?" he finally said, and she had the distinct idea this was going to have nothing to do with math.

"Sure." She set her papers down, giving him her full attention, but he only chewed at the inside of his lip.

"Did something happen with you and Eric?" The concern in his young eyes took her by surprise. While she'd known they might notice they weren't spending as much time with him aside from their usual Wednesday routine, she hadn't expected them to pick up on anything like this. "We used to do a bunch of stuff with him and now we see him like once a week."

She couldn't answer his original question without lying, so she evaded, focusing on the latter half of his concerns. "Eric's my friend – _our_ friend – but he has his own life, bud. We've all been busy."

Austin looked disappointed and frustrated, in that way kids had when they knew more than they could really comprehend and an adult refused to acknowledge it. And he took it out on his pencil, nervously tapping it against his half-filled sheet of notebook paper.

"I know you guys still like each other," he finally spit out, dropping the pencil and directly meeting her eyes. "I'm almost 11, I'm not stupid. Also, I saw him kiss you." He looked back at the stairs, making sure he could still hear the faint roar of the shower to ensure Claire wasn't within earshot.

Calleigh's eyes widened and she anxiously tucked a runaway lock of blonde hair behind her ear. "Okay, number 1, I know you're not stupid," she insistently, leaning forward into her forearms on the table "That's why I told you that Eric and I used to date, because I knew that you would understand. But we're just friends now, and sometimes that's really tough because we have old feelings for each other."

Austin pressed his lips together, contemplating her words.

"Number 2...what?" She raised her brows, racking her brain for when he possibly could've seen anything remotely close to a kiss.

"He, like, kissed your head a couple weeks ago…before he left one night." Austin mumbled the last part, picking up that pencil again and turning it over between his fingers, because he knew now that he had to admit to something he kind of shouldn't have been doing.

She knew immediately which night he meant: the last Wednesday he'd stayed late for a drink with her, the very emotional one in which they'd come to the mutual but regretful decision to make things a little more black and white for Austin and Claire. Clearly that was working, she realized sarcastically.

"So you were spying on us?" she asked, a bit peeved but still unable to help the creep of an amused smirk that threatened to tug at the corner of her lips.

"Sorry." Austin's lips tightened nervously. "I didn't mean to, I just woke up and wanted to see what you were doing outside…"

"It's okay," Calleigh assured, sighing out her bit of frustration – mostly because she had even more to explain to him now. "It's like I said...we're friends but we still have feelings for each other, so sometimes it's hard to spend a lot of time together."

Austin nodded, kind of understanding, kind of not. "If you still like each other, why don't you just date again?" And then, in the silence that followed while Calleigh collected her thoughts, he asked, "Is it because of us?"

"No," Calleigh said immediately, brows furrowing in concern as she realized he may have been wondering that all this time. "Absolutely not. Eric and I realized we might want different things a while ago, before you guys were here with me."

Austin's lips tightened in an attempt at a relieved smile as he aimlessly stared down at his homework. And then, in a voice that sounded much older than his _almost_ eleven years, he said, "I just want you to be happy. I can tell that you like him."

Calleigh's eyes softened, a little smile tugging at her lips. "That's really sweet, bud, but I am happy. I have you guys, and Eric and I are still friends."

Sounding much more his age, he added, "But Claire and I like Eric, too, and if you and Eric were boyfriend and girlfriend again, we'd get to do more stuff with him, and maybe he could live here and we could play basketball all the time."

Letting out a soft laugh, Calleigh shook her head at his train of thought, then nodding at his homework. "How about you get back to your math," she suggested. And although he dutifully did as she asked and picked up his pencil again, her eyes lingered on him and she took a deep, steadying breath in.

* * *

As Eric made his way past the rows of lockers to the back corner, he unclipped the holster that housed his department-issued handgun at his hip, thankful he didn't have to use it on his last venture into the field today. It had been a little more involved than they'd expected, and MDPD had ended up swarming the house of the suspect that had barricaded himself inside his home with a shotgun at the ready. Eric was more than ready to be done with this day – this week, really – and the sight of Calleigh at her locker both seemed to exacerbate his exhaustion and soothe his heart in typical confusing fashion.

They were friends first and always would be, but they'd been keeping their distance a little. It was the only way to get by without crossing that line they always so easily seemed to tumble over.

Effectively distracted from her task of moving items into her purse, her eyes emotionally clung to him as he came to stand in front of his locker.

"You're back," she said with a little more relief than she should've. But earlier, when she'd heard his voice come through the police line calling for back-up over the boom of shotgun shells, her chest had gotten tight.

"Yeah, quicker than I thought," he answered as he popped his locker open, setting his gun safely atop the shelf. "He gave in...probably something about the SWAT tank and 50 guns pointed directly at him."

Calleigh cracked a little smile. "Might have had something to do with it." And then, a moment later she added, "I'm glad you're okay."

Eric breathed in deeply, knowing that when he met her eyes there was going to be a hell of lot of emotion passing between them. And there was, despite the fact that she was waging a war of her own, trying to press her lips into a casual smile while her eyes gave her away. "Me too."

He swallowed hard, focusing on sliding his jacket over his shoulders. "Saw you're on the board for Sunday…" he said, changing the subject, a bit of a question clinging to his words.

"Yeah." She smiled sadly but a little playfully. "Guess the whole adopting 2 kids thing only got me out of my monthly weekend shift for a couple months..."

Eric smiled back. "Yeah, I guess so. Got big plans for the kids?"

Calleigh's brows immediately knit together and she sighed as she leaned against the row of lockers. "Austin, yes. Claire, no… Austin's going to a friend's house for the day and Claire...I think I'm just gonna get a sitter recommendation from a friend and hope Claire likes her and actually speaks to her." She smiled a little – because she was joking but she also kind of wasn't.

Eric chuckled, growing a little more serious as he offered, "I could hang out with her for the day."

"You don't have to do that," Calleigh assured quickly. "You shouldn't…" she added, having to remind herself. Black and white, right? "I need to establish relationships with some good sitters in the area anyway."

"You sure?" he asked, raising his brows questioningly. "I'm not doing anything and she already speaks to me…"

Calleigh pressed her lips together at that before they curved into a smile. He wasn't wrong...and it would make her feel a lot better to leave Claire with someone she already knew and trusted given that she'd be gone a whole shift. And judging by the pleased smile spreading across his lips, he already knew she was giving in.

"It's the mid-day shift," she said, reminding him it would cut into his evening. "Don't you have dinner with your family?"

"Yeah," he remembered, just now thinking of it himself. "But she could come," he added hesitantly. "There will be kids there for her to play with, and you know my mom is all about taking in extras."

Calleigh laughed softly, nodding along in agreement. Eric had one of those moms who just loved to welcome and feed people, and while they were dating she'd observed a bunch of friends, friends of friends, and random kids at their weekly gatherings. While she had to admit it wouldn't be all that strange, within the context of their past and whatever boundaries they were currently trying to establish, she knew it was not exactly in line with the black-and-white charade they'd been keeping up. And yet she didn't have the heart to say no, especially when she knew Claire would be over the moon about spending her day with Eric and when the thought of leaving Claire with someone she hadn't met had been gnawing at her nerves all week.

Taking a deep breath in, she conceded with a nod. "Okay." And then, tilting her head in that adorable, emotional way she had, she rested her head against the lockers as she held his eyes. "Thank you."

"You're welcome," he said, a little too playfully as his eyes danced over her and a smirk tugged at his lips.

* * *

Calleigh couldn't help the flood of memories currently rushing through her mind as she walked up the front steps at the Delko family home. She'd been here at least a couple dozen times, pretty regularly for a while – always met with warm smiles, way more hugs than she was used to, and entirely too many open comments about rings and babies.

She was more than a little nervous about being here now; she'd nearly taken Eric up on his offer to meet her at home. But she hadn't wanted to put an early end to his time here or make him drive to Bal Harbour, and she still had to pick up Austin anyway, and he'd already done her so many favors…so here she was, awkwardly picking Claire up from the family gatherings she used to be a part of.

Standing in front of the screen door, she took in a deep breath before rapping on it and waiting for signs of life inside. But even a minute later, there were none, and between the somewhat cool air and the low hum of laughter and chatter, she realized everyone must be out back. Making her way back down the steps and following the cobblestone path, she found the gate to the literal white picket fence – why wasn't she surprised they had one? – and pulled the latch to let herself in.

As she did, the sight before her made her stop in her tracks and stare for a moment. Claire, who just months ago had barely been speaking to anyone, let alone strangers, and who had taken weeks to even start speaking to and playing with her classmates, was zooming around the backyard in what looked like a pretty intense game of tag with Eric's nieces and nephews. Someone got tagged, and there seemed to be some unspoken break agreed on as all the kids, tired and short of breath, came back to the patio. Claire immediately went to Eric, beaming and breathless, and something tugged at Calleigh's heart a little about the way he attentively shifted forward to speak to her.

Finally moving forward again, she made it about halfway through the yard before Claire spotted her.

"Calleigh!" Claire immediately ran to her, jumping up and wrapping her arms around Calleigh's neck as Calleigh scooped her up in a hug, rocking forward so Claire's legs went between hers. Swinging her back down, Calleigh smiled at Claire's bright eyes, broad smile, mussed French braid, and the remnants of a fudgesicle around her mouth, and knew that letting her come here was absolutely worth whatever awkwardness ensued.

"Looks like you had a good afternoon," Calleigh said, wiping at the dried chocolate on Claire's face to no avail and earning a giggle in response.

Standing fully upright, Calleigh took Claire's hand in hers and led her toward everyone on the patio, her eyes meeting Eric's with an appreciative smile that only grew as she drew closer.

"Calleigh." The still familiar, thick Cuban accent of Eric's mother drew Calleigh's attention away from him. She watched Clorinda's eyes dance between her and Eric questioningly before she threw all hesitation aside and pulled Calleigh into a warm hug. "It's so good to see you."

"Hi, it's good to see you, too," Calleigh said softly, all too aware of the amused smiles on Eric's sisters' faces and the way their eyes immediately questioned him. "Thank you so much for letting her join you today."

"It was our pleasure, she was an angel," Clorinda said as she released her, eyes on Claire as she tried to get Eric's four-year-old nephew back for tagging her again. "She kept the little ones entertained."

Calleigh's eyes followed hers, watching as Claire laughed as she dodged another tag from one of Eric's nieces and then hid behind Eric's chair. Her eyes lingered a little too long, kind of in awe of the way Claire was with the younger kids: playful but gentle, aware that she was bigger and faster. The crazy little thought that followed was one she quickly had to swallow down, but Eric, ever in tune to her, had noticed the look in her eyes as she watched a little too long.

"Have you eaten?" Clorinda asked, the weight of Eric's stare causing Calleigh's eyes to flicker to his, heavy with emotion for just a moment, before she directed them back to his mother. But when she hadn't responded immediately, Clorinda followed up quickly in her normal fashion. "Go make yourself a plate." She nodded toward the kitchen.

It was oddly tempting to stay – awkward but comforting and familiar, all too complicated and yet she still longed to be here a little longer. "Oh, thank you, but I can eat at home – and we have to go pick up Austin."

Clorinda watched her carefully, and Calleigh had the sense that her usual ability to hide her emotions seemed to have a crack in its steely armor that was rendering her a little more defenseless than usual. Eric seemed to do that to her, and she didn't have the emotional capacity to think about what that meant right now.

Clorinda pursed her lips decidedly. "I'll make you a plate for the road," she said, unable to let go of her notorious need to feed and take care of everyone.

Calleigh opened her mouth to object, but Clorinda had already headed for the door and Eric's chuckles permeated the silence that followed.

"Just let the woman feed you," Christina, Eric's oldest sister, teased. "It's what she lives for."

A few minutes later, Eric was walking her out – he'd insisted – and she had a plate of food in hand – his mother had insisted. He couldn't help the hand that had instinctively begun to rest at the small of her back as he led her out. He'd pulled his hand back much more quickly than it had landed there, Claire none the wiser as she walked ahead, his family definitely catching it as they watched them leave.

An awkward silence followed until they made it to her car and Claire had climbed into the backseat and the plate of food was safely rested on the front passenger seat. Calleigh slipped her hands into the front pockets of her dress pants, idly stepping one foot in front of the other and shifting her weight.

"Thank you for today," she said sincerely, meeting his eyes. The sun was dipping towards the horizon as the sun set, and the orange glow had his eyes a light, golden brown.

"It was no problem."

"Seriously," Calleigh said, growing even more serious. "She seems like she had a really good day…" Her eyes trailed off to the fence, where she'd first walked up to find Claire running around with the other kids, and she thought of how gentle she'd been with the younger one, how happy she was with them. When she met Eric's eyes again, he immediately noticed she had that look in her eyes again – part longing, part needing to say something, part completely unsure…

He raised his brows a little expectantly, eyes imploring hers. "You okay?"

"Yeah…" She pressed her lips together, rolling them anxiously.

"You looked like you were about to say something…" he said knowingly, and she couldn't help but smile sadly. He knew her too well.

"I'm sorry," she said honestly, brows furrowing as she tried to shake the odd feeling coursing through her. "I'm just kind of in my head today. It's been a long day." She sighed, tucking a strand of blonde hair behind her ear and looking at him hopefully, hoping he understood. It was kind of an excuse and he knew it and she knew it, but she was hoping he wouldn't press her right now.

He nodded quietly, sensing her need for space even though that seemed to be all they were giving each other recently. "You should go get Austin," he said, again reading her mind.

"Yeah." She smiled softly. "Thank you again," she said, resting her head over his forearm before she could think twice – and even when she did, she left it there a moment, both of them smiling sadly at one another. "I'll see you tomorrow. Have a good night."

"You too." He watched her drive off, staying outside a moment to let his heart settle before he walked back into what was sure to be a mild interrogation.

/~/

The kids were tucked away peacefully, her house was the cleanest it had been in weeks, she'd been mentally and physically exhausted all day from her far too short weekend, and yet Calleigh still couldn't seem to settle in for the night. Her mind had been playing the "what if" game far too often lately without her permission, and she kept finding herself halfway between dreams and anxious over reality, longing for answers.

Needing something reassuring, some semblance of something peaceful, she found herself creeping out of her own room in her too-big college t-shirt and pajama shorts and heading down the hall. First she pressed open Austin's cracked door, and once her eyes adjusted to the dark she found him in his signature mess of tangled blankets and haphazardly strewn limbs. His face was turned away from her, but she had no doubt he was completely out.

A smile tugged at her lips and, satisfied and a little reassured by the sight of him happily resting, and she moved on to the next room. Stopping at the door, she took a moment to take in the purple and blue butterfly she'd help Claire affix to the front of her bedroom door. Letting her fingers smooth over the fabric, she marveled at how quickly her house had gone from modern Southern decor with hints of Miami to this: purple butterflies on one door and basketballs on another, kids' shoes scattered god knows where throughout the house. It only served to further remind her how quickly things could change, how uncertain she'd been those first few weeks, suddenly with two kids, and yet how right her heart knew it was.

It wasn't completely unlike now, when she was becoming more and more sure that her heart had more room than she'd thought it ever would, when she was still longing for a little more than she'd thought she'd be longing for.

Slowly pushing the door open further, she rested her head against the door jamb and smiled at the sight of Claire. She was much more neat about her sleeping than her brother, still tucked beneath her purple comforter and turned toward the door, little arms tucked beneath her chin, surrounded by a pile of stuffed animals they'd somehow acquired rather quickly.

Calleigh was just about to close the door before she disrupted her, but Claire's quiet voice stopped her.

"Did you have a bad dream?" it asked, and her heart melted for that little girl all over again.

"Kind of," Calleigh admitted, knowing that the thoughts racing through her mind were far above a seven-year-old's comprehension. But bad dreams she understood. "I just can't get to sleep. I'm sorry I woke you."

She watched Claire shrug in the dark. "I was kinda awake anyway," she said, rubbing at her eyes. "I had a dream I was flying."

"Well that's a pretty cool dream," Calleigh said as she took a few steps in.

Claire shifted in bed, clearly making room. "Maybe this is a good dream room tonight and you'll have good dreams too if you sleep here."

There went that whole heart melting thing again… "Maybe." Calleigh smiled, slowly lowering herself into the twin bed and tucking her legs into the pastel striped sheets and purple comforter. She propped herself up against pillows and stuffed animals, and Claire snuggled back in next to her.

After a short silence, Claire spoke again. "Eric has a nice family."

Calleigh smiled softly. She'd already been feeling better and the exhaustion was starting to wear on her, but Claire's words stirred something within her again.

"He does," she agreed.

"Do you have a family?" Claire asked, and Calleigh had the brief thought that it wasn't really fair that Claire understood some people didn't. "Like a mom and a dad, or brothers and sisters…"

"I do," Calleigh said hesitantly. "I have a mom and a dad. No brothers or sisters though."

"Where are they?"

"My mom is somewhere in California. She married another guy after my dad. And I'm not really sure where my dad is these days." She watched Claire's brows furrow in the dark and she turned, resting her chin against Calleigh's shoulder. "They're not the best people to be around...they're not like Eric's mom and dad."

"So they're not like you?" Claire asked, and that comparison made Calleigh's heart clench a little.

"No, I guess not," she said, able to at least admit she was nothing like the absent mother and alcoholic father that had been in and out of her entire life.

Claire seemed to think about that for a moment, brows knitting together again until she relaxed, sighing thoughtfully. "I like Eric's family. There's always someone to play with."

Calleigh smiled and rested her head further back against the pillows, letting out a deep breath. This conversation was suddenly doing nothing for her racing mind, instead further igniting what were feeling less and less like crazy thoughts.

"Eric's family is pretty great," Calleigh admitted, one hand idly beginning to smooth through Claire's long brown hair.

And then Claire tilted her head back up, and although Calleigh couldn't see them in the dark she knew that Claire's blue eyes were on her. "So's ours though," she said, and Calleigh was pretty certain she wasn't going to get through this night without her emotions getting the best of her. Definitely not, she decided as happy and emotional tears watered her eyes.

She didn't have any words, so she simply kissed the top of Claire's head and pulled her close, overwhelmed by this feeling and the scent of L'oreal Kids shampoo and the nagging ache that was still in her heart. She loved these kids to the moon and back, and over the past few months she'd felt this strange mix of being close to complete but guilty that she was still missing something. And the more she got to know these kids, the more she realized how amazing it was to watch them grow and develop – and the more she'd started to think she wanted to do it all over again, from the beginning – to witness first steps and words. But she'd been torn because her intention had been to give Austin and Claire all her focus and attention; it was what they deserved. They'd been through so much already. And she didn't want to do anything to detract from the stability and focus she'd promised them. But today, watching Claire with those kids, she'd had the wild thought that going down that road might not detract anything at all. Instead, it might just make everyone's lives a little more full.


	13. Look At You

_Note: Continuing that weekend update routine... :) Hope you all enjoy. P.S. I've got a standalone story idea toying at my brain from around season 7, too, so if I get any extra time (ha), you might see that in the not too distant future._

* * *

When Calleigh finally made it to the crime lab at one o'clock in the afternoon, she was torn between feeling incredibly behind and also like she didn't care at all. Her morning had been more than worth the time off.

Their nine a.m. court appearance had been much easier than she'd anticipated, with everyone – even Claire and Austin's father's lawyer – supporting the adoption given that he wouldn't be out of jail until long after the kids were adults. They'd celebrated with brunch afterward, stuffing their stomachs with eggs and french toast and orange juice. It had been a little more fun knowing that the kids were supposed to be in school and she was supposed to be at work, but Calleigh felt like it was extra important to do something special today. She'd almost wanted to take the whole day with them, but something told her they should all have a _little_ normalcy today and she didn't want them to miss an entire day at school.

So here she was, hurriedly strolling into the ballistics lab and buttoning up her white lab coat, already spotting a pile of samples on her desk. What quickly caught her eye next, though, was more of a mystery: a large bouquet of flowers, bursting with yellow roses and happy white and yellow daisies. A knowing smile crossed her features as she pushed the door to her office in, quickly making her way to the counter. Eric. She knew without looking at the card, especially once she realized the large bouquet was actually three separate, smaller ones – one for each of them, she assumed.

She picked up the card propped against the large vase and tore it open, unsurprised to find Eric's familiar handwriting etched across the card.

 _Congratulations! I picked these up this morning before you even texted me – that's how sure I was that it would happen. Austin and Claire hit the jackpot and you did, too. You'll all have an amazing life together and wherever the future takes us all, I'm here for all three of you._

 _Love, Eric_

Calleigh bit her lip, her eyes actually growing a little watery at his words. They'd been keeping their distance lately, as promised, and yet he still couldn't let this moment pass by without doing a little something. And if she was being honest, she hadn't been able to let the events of the morning go by without thinking of him several times. He'd been the first person she'd texted once they'd left the courthouse, and a part of her couldn't help but feel like he was supposed to be there celebrating with them at brunch. And she was beginning to understand just what all that meant.

Setting the card back against the vase, she picked up one of the bouquets and brought it to her nose, inhaling the sweet scent before she finally turned her attention to work.

* * *

Calleigh had nearly forgotten about their "pool party" playdate. She'd scheduled it with Eric's sister Christina weeks ago, when she and Eric were still casually spending a lot of time together with the kids without any regard for how things appeared. So at the time when Christina had hesitantly asked if it was fine if Eric came to spend some time with his nieces and nephews, Calleigh had not-so-hesitantly said of course.

And now they were here, both at his sister's with weeks of built-up tension between them and dwindling reasons to stay away. Eric was currently shirtless – Calleigh was very aware of that. Because despite being wrapped up in conversation with his sister and surrounded by children, she'd caught sight of his gorgeous dark skin and discreetly taken a moment to watch the way his muscles rippled as he pulled his shirt overhead.

And Eric was all too aware of Calleigh's every movement as she sat at the edge of the pool next to his sister, bare legs swinging through the water, hands clutching the edge of the pool. She had a black cover-up dress on over what looked like a red bikini peeking out from the edges, sunglasses tucked back over her blonde hair to reveal her fresh, makeupless face and bright green eyes.

One of his nieces screamed as he jumped into the pool near her, sending water overhead, and thankfully everyone was distracted enough for Calleigh to admire him a moment longer: skin now glistening with a sheen of water, muscular shoulders moving through the water – in his natural element.

"I heard it's official now," Christina said, drawing Calleigh's eyes back to her. Although she didn't have the best angle to see where exactly Calleigh's eyes had been, she had a feeling it wasn't exactly on the children.

Calleigh looked at her for a moment, asking "what is?" distractedly before she got her bearings and realized what she meant.

Christina pursed her lips to keep an amused smile at bay and nodded toward Austin and Claire. "You and the kids," she said even though realization had passed over Calleigh's features. "Congratulations."

"Thanks." Calleigh idly tucked blonde hair back behind her ear, smiling broadly. "They're pretty amazing." Her eyes drifted to their left again, Christina's following, and they both watched Austin and Claire dive for coins with Christina's oldest daughter.

"Eric says the same thing," Christina said, managing to draw Calleigh's eyes back to hers and smiling knowingly. "They seem to like him," she added, nodding towards the center of the pool where Eric had just launched Claire into the air only to crash down in a giant splash that showered everyone.

"They sure do," Calleigh confirmed, the burden of burying feelings for weeks finally getting the better of her and revealing a little emotion in her words. Her eyes had drifted now, clinging to Eric and marveling at the way he performed a much more gentle version of the toss with his three-year-old nephew. She couldn't tear her eyes away, watching intently as Claire giggled over the little boy's excitement, Eric counted to three, and Aaron went splashing back into the water with laughter, the little inflatable arm bands keeping him afloat.

Feeling the weight of her stare, Eric's eyes met hers, the combination of admiration, longing, and awe growing easier to identify as time went on but no less heart-stopping. He held her gaze with a similar look at first, the loud beat of his heart pounding in his ears, distracted only when Claire tugged at his arm to go again. He sent an equally amused and inviting smile Calleigh's way before he obliged, forcing Calleigh to bite her lip as she watched him send Claire up in the air again.

Maybe this had been a mistake, Calleigh realized, swallowing hard as her fingers gripped the edge of the pool a little harder. She knew where her mind and heart were going at this point, but she hadn't fully resolved it, and now she'd put herself right in the thick of it. Eric had even asked at the last minute if she minded him there, and she'd all too hopefully misjudged her ability to keep her emotions in check. But watching him now with Claire and his little nieces and nephews had her heart racing with a decision her subconscious had all but made for her.

Claire paddled over toward them in the deeper side, a welcome distraction as she hugged the side of the pool next to Calleigh to give her arms and legs a break.

"Are you gonna come in with us?" she asked innocently, tilting her head to the side.

"In a minute, kiddo," Calleigh promised, fully intending to keep it even if it meant being enclosed in an impressive but still relatively small pool with Eric, a few soon-to-be answered questions, and a whole lot of tension. She watched Claire swim off in a decent doggy paddle, Eric's eyes meeting hers yet again and softening her gaze as she watched him make sure Claire was fine coming back from the deep end.

Brows furrowing a little, Calleigh turned to Christina. "Can I use your restroom?" She needed a little break from the emotion and tension.

"Of course," Christina answered quickly. "Upstairs and to the left."

Christina watched Calleigh's retreating form curiously before sending her brother an accusing look. She hadn't caught half their gazes, distracted by kids and her phone and also not able to see Calleigh's expression from this side, and still she knew that something was up. Eric chuckled, faking a not at all convincing shrug and questioning brows. "What?"

"You know what." She tilted her head to the side, where Calleigh had been sitting, and then nodded and furrowed her brows toward him.

"I have no idea what you're talking about." He tucked his tongue into his cheek, chuckling again, and shrugged his shoulders innocently.

Christina pursed her lips indignantly; she would've questioned him a lot more if there hadn't been a dozen little ears around – plus she was distracted by one of her middle children running toward her, drenched with water from the pool.

"Ay, no running," she scolded, watching little legs immediately slow before launching into her and ruining her quest to stay dry. Surveying the little girl's reddened skin, she frowned. "Hey, Eric, can you grab some more sunscreen for me? End of the upstairs hallway."

He gave her kind of an indignant look – because he was the one in the pool and she wasn't, but he conceded since she had a kid kind of attached to her at the moment. Pulling himself up using the railing, he stepped across the concrete and towel-dried himself off the best he could before padding into the house.

He was at the end of the hall and had just found the sunscreen amid a bunch of first aid supplies and medication bottles when the opening of a door distracted him. He turned to find Calleigh emerging from the bathroom, her body stilling immediately at the sight of him before her – with no little eyes on them, alone with the weight of emotional stares and telling glances laid bare between them.

She couldn't seem to help the way her eyes changed when they landed on him anymore. "Hey," she said softly, fingers lingering on the door.

And he couldn't help the little smirk that tugged at one side of his lips, although it was followed up by the release of a frustrated breath and a look away.

"You've gotta stop looking at me like that," he warned, swiping at a stray drop of water running down his forehead from his wet hair. When his eyes returned to hers, they were open and insistent, his heart on his sleeve because if this was going somewhere like he thought it was, he needed them to just get there. And if it wasn't, well, he wasn't sure his heart could believe or take that right now.

Calleigh's tongue hit the roof of her mouth and the corners of her lips twitched, keeping a smile at bay. "Like what?" she asked innocently. It came off even more flirtatious than she intended, and drew a small amused yet frustrated smile from Eric's lips.

"You know exactly what," he insisted, eyes imploring hers. "Me and the kids…" And there it was: the little hints of longing and emotion intensifying.

She pursed her lips, losing her battle against the smile that was pulling at the corners of her lips as he closed the distance between them with slow but determined steps. Glancing down the hall for little eyes just before he met her, he found the coast clear and let his fingers skim over her hip from around the bottle of sunscreen he was still clutching, already urging her back. As his free hand slipped beneath her jaw and cradled her cheek, he ducked his head and silenced her smile by capturing her lips.

He was slow at first, tasting her after weeks away and reveling in the softness of her lips, the feel of her skin beneath his and her silky hair dancing against his hand. And then their mouths melded together in familiarity, her body responding to his urging and pushing the door back open, letting him take her back into the bathroom. She pushed the door closed as much as she could, too far away to complete the task as he backed her up against the counter. He'd abandoned the silly bottle of sunscreen now, hands free to roam over her hip and back in search of skin to no avail.

Her lips moved against his, letting him pull kiss after kiss from her as her body instinctively arched into the pressure of his. It wasn't enough, though, and she was just a little out of reach, so his hands gripped her thighs and lifted her atop the counter. Calleigh's own hands had gone rogue on all the bare skin afforded to her, skimming up his chest to those shoulders she'd been appreciating from a distance before. And then she hooked a leg around his thigh, pulling her flush against his body on the edge of the counter and making an appreciative groan escape his lips.

Somehow finding some semblance of self-awareness, Eric pushed the door the rest of the way shut and pressed the lock in. The realization of what they were doing and where they were hit her a little then and she slowed her mouth against his, tugging at his rather full bottom lip before she pulled back. Her hands slipped back down his chest, stilling just over his abdomen, and her eyes followed them for a moment before flickering up to his.

"Hey," he said softly, playfully, greeting her like this after their short stint apart.

"Hi." She grinned, moving her thumb against his skin. And then she opened her mouth to speak, pausing as her expression crumbled a little, brows furrowing thoughtfully. "I think I want more kids."

She watched him grow more serious for a moment, eyes fluttering between her eyes and her lips with equal intensity. "Babies," she clarified, like he had weeks ago, her mischievous smile triggering one of his own. But somehow, after weeks of lingering glances and seeming lost in her thoughts every time she saw him or Claire with kids or both, he wasn't really that surprised.

She hadn't had time to process what might happen when she told him, but now that she was here, she was expecting happy smiles and conversations about their future. Instead, his lips ambushed hers, one hand slipping along her neck and into her hair, one remaining on her thigh where he'd found warm skin. He'd already been turned on, and something about her admission just lit a fuse and had him wanting her beyond all comprehension.

"Now?" was all he asked hopefully against her mouth, fingers trailing up her thigh suggestively.

"Well not here." She paused, finding his eyes to let him know they seriously could not do this here. The disappointment that etched across his face for a moment was rather adorable, but it had nothing on the grin as she said, "But yeah, now."

"Is that crazy?" she breathed out a second later as his lips found her jaw. "Austin and Claire…"

"Will be fine," he assured before she could finish. He finished his trail to her ear, smiling against her skin. "We should get married."

Her brows furrowed in thought; she'd never really dreamed of weddings and dresses and name changes. "I guess so." She was a little more convinced as his his lips closed over the sensitive skin behind her neck, making her shudder in his hands. "I'm keeping my name."

He chuckled, the vibrations against her skin raising the hairs at the back of her neck. "You can keep whatever you want."

His lips were over her collarbone now, and she tilted her head. Against her better judgment, she let her fingertips skim down his abdomen, feeling his muscles tense beneath her touch and his fingers dig into her thigh. He tugged her forward a little, putting her at a better angle as his lips continued down her chest. He'd moved one hand to the small of her back to support her, but his other continued up her thigh, every bit intent on showing her his appreciation.

"Can I have a ring?" she asked playfully, and he paused long enough to give her a look.

"Definitely." Smiling broadly, he dipped his head to pick back up even further than where he'd left off, lips brushing near the edge of her bikini as he tried to access more skin. Her fingers crept around and sunk into his lower back, thighs hugging his hips.

Despite the heat that was spreading through her, she knew they had to stop. Preferably now, while she still had some senses about her.

"Eric," she murmured as his hand skimmed up to her hip and found the edge of her bikini. "You gotta stop. Can we talk about this later?"

"Definitely," he playfully said again against her skin, stilling his hand but not his lips.

"O-kay." She laughed softly, having to push him back a little so she wouldn't _completely_ brush against him as she slid down. Needing to put some distance between them, she kept her hand on his chest to hold him back, his head still ducked down near hers. "Need a minute?" she asked knowingly as she stepped closer to the door.

"Yeah," he half-groaned. Somehow remembering, he handed the sunscreen bottle to her. "Give this to Christina."

Calleigh affectionately touched his shoulder before she left, quickly making her way through the house given her suspiciously long bathroom trip. As she stepped out onto the patio again, she walked over to Christina, still sitting at the edge with a kid wrapped in a towel in her lap. Calleigh handed her the sunscreen and Christina silently questioned her, looking over her shoulder for Eric.

"I think he got a phone call from the lab," Calleigh lied all too easily, keeping their little escapade under wraps. She turned to pretend to look behind her for Eric, taking advantage of the angle to hide a smile.

"Calleigh, come in with us!" Claire called out, jumping up and down in the shallower water.

Calleigh couldn't help but oblige, ditching her cover-up and pulling her hair up into a relatively neat bun. Before she'd even fully waded in, Claire flung her arms around her waist, forcing her in a little further and effectively splashing water up to her.

"Can you throw us like Eric?!"

"I don't know about that," Calleigh teased, stepping in further with Claire around her until the water was above her waist. "Here," she said, propping her leg up and showing Claire how to stand on it. She helped her precariously gain her balance and then grabbed her feet. "Jump on three," she said, counting to three before she sprung Claire up into the air, sending her splashing into the slightly deeper water.

Claire emerged laughing, quickly dog paddling back until she was close enough to grab onto Calleigh again. And that was the first thing Eric saw as he made his way back out to the pool, his heart swelling a little at the sight of Calleigh like this: happy and playful with the kids she'd fought so hard for, Claire clinging to her adoringly.

A smile curved across his lips as Calleigh's eyes met his from across the pool, the promise of so much more passing between them now.


	14. The Trouble With Wanting

_Note: A little shorter than my usual chapters, but it was at a good stopping point before the next and I'll be studying for exams the next few days so I didn't wanna hold out on y'all. :) Hope you enjoy. This story is slowly winding down, but there's definitely still several chapters left!_

* * *

Now in dry clothes with still-damp hair, Austin, Claire, and Calleigh were slowly making their way down the driveway of Christina's home toward Calleigh's SUV, Eric strolling behind them toward his car.

He couldn't help but notice that a few of her natural waves, set free by the water and humidity, were escaping her messy bun – or that she looked a little too perfect carting kids and a giant tote bag around. He watched her lean forward between the kids, mischievously whispering something in their ears that made both of them stop and turn with confused, cautiously optimistic faces.

"It's not Wednesday," Claire pointed out, repeating what had become Calleigh's constant reminder to keep them all in check every time they'd wanted to do something with Eric. Now, hearing those words come from her seven-year-old, Calleigh realized exactly how silly it was that she'd denied them time with him and vice versa given the bond that was developing there.

Claire looked at Calleigh for answers, her blue eyes then darting over to Eric, not too young to miss the playful smile he was trying to keep at bay. Austin was doing the same, observant eyes dancing between Calleigh and Eric, absolutely understanding that something was shifting but not being able to put his finger on it.

"I know," Calleigh finally answered, a reassuring smile on her lips. "But you can still ask."

Austin's eyes widened a little and it wasn't even a second later that he was blurting out, "Do you want to come over for dinner _and_ a movie?"

"We're making cajun pasta!" Claire added excitedly, bouncing up onto the tips of her toes.

Eric raised his brows playfully. "Well, how can I say no to cajun pasta?"

Claire giggled, reaching for his hand and tugging him toward their SUV like she was going to drag him right on in.

"Wait a minute, kiddo," Eric said, providing just enough resistance to keep her from completely winning but letting her lead him towards that general direction. "I have to take my own car, I'll meet you there."

Grinning, Calleigh had to intervene a little, wrapping her arm around Claire to hold her overly eager hands back.

"We'll see him at the house," she assured, tucking Claire's damp hair behind her shoulder and smiling up at Eric.

"Need me to pick up anything?" he asked.

"No, we're good," she said, eyes drifting down to his chest where his fitted t-shirt now clung to the contours of his muscles. "Just bring yourself."

Eric pressed his lips together and then pursed them, already willing himself to somehow carve out some sort of resolve. Because despite every part of his body and soul screaming out for it, he'd already decided he was absolutely not staying the night. They'd barely talked between themselves and they certainly weren't going to tell the kids anything before they had; the last thing he wanted was for one of them to confusingly stumble upon him in Calleigh's bedroom.

Calleigh looked back at him as she helped the kids into the car, picking up on every bit of his not-so-serious concerns with an innocent smile.

* * *

Leaving was proving even harder than he imagined, especially when she was straddling his lap on her sofa and her lips were on his, the only sound pervading the silence belonging to the crash of their lips and little breaths of pleasure. And especially when she'd let her damp hair down to dry into its natural waves that were very fitting for her current state and absolutely his undoing.

Her hands followed the path they'd traveled to and from a dozen times already, slipping from cupping his neck to resting low on his abdomen, his body tensing a little more with every subsequent trip. This time, she slipped her hands beneath his shirt, fingertips coasting down to his waistband just as her tongue caressed his. _That_ was actually his undoing. He groaned, and somehow he summoned the willpower to slip his hand around her wrist and pull it from his skin, to tear his lips from hers and push her back for a moment.

"You gotta stop," he begged her, although he was realizing now that pushing her away wasn't really any better. Because now he could see her reddened lips, tousled blonde hair, and currently questioning deep green eyes, not to mention the adorable furrow of her brow and purse of her lips at his request. Or the fact that the hand he'd used to push her away was currently splayed across her chest – her warm, bare chest revealed by her casual pool cover-up dress that was creeping lower by the minute. "I shouldn't stay," he suddenly reminded both of them.

"I know." She closed her eyes and sighed, thinking all sorts of thoughts she'd never entertain with a rational mind. Like that the kids didn't wake in the night _that_ often and that he'd stayed before and that they could set an early alarm and –

"I'm not staying," he insisted, watching the gears turn in her mind. She nodded, biting her lip, and relaxed her hand in his grasp. He switched from lightly restraining her to smoothing his thumb over the back of her hand. "You can come over tomorrow before work after you drop the kids off at school," he added, hand lightly trailing down the center of her chest and over her ribs to rest at her hip. "We can...talk."

Calleigh nodded, but god she was distracted by the low rumble of his voice, a very sexy product of desire and trying to be quiet, and by that full bottom lip of his. She wanted nothing more than to sandwich it between hers again, to feel his lips roam down her skin like he seemed to thoroughly enjoy, to feel his touch in places they certainly couldn't expose on this couch – or even in her bedroom, apparently, where little eyes might search for them at any given moment.

She pushed herself up, fingers curving around his as she tugged him with her. It was a little more abrupt and decisive than he'd expected her to be about walking him to the door, but they both were a little too far gone right now and she was probably hoping to put some distance between them before it was too late.

Except evidently it already was, because right around her foyer she turned to smile at him mischievously before tugging him down a hall. He hesitated, but he was in no state to resist her as she led him into the quiet little nook of her house and into her office at the end of the hall. She'd been neglecting this space lately, favoring working at the kitchen or dining table where she could sit with the kids and split her attention between work and homework, coloring, or reading children's books. As a result, the kids pretty much never came in here and it was the last place they'd check should they happen to wake.

Calleigh shut the door behind them and pressed the lock in just in case, then took both of Eric's somewhat reluctant hands in hers and backed up slowly until she'd met the desk.

"Calleigh," Eric warned, breathing out the last of his control as she hopped up onto the desk and pulled him between her legs. "You have two beautiful kids upstairs who have no idea what's going on between us…" he continued even as his hands found her thighs.

It went without saying that the last thing either of them wanted was Austin or Claire to wake up and come to find them in some precarious situation, and yet they couldn't stop this even if they tried. It all made sense: that they'd never been able to stay away from one another, that even when they were off they were still on, that Austin and Claire completely adored Eric, and that he'd fallen into some sort of caretaker role so easily for them even when they weren't dating at all and he had no reason to.

She bit her lip, eyes dancing with his. She knew that he was right and surprisingly rational given their entire day, and yet she also knew deep down that she was right to not feel like this was at all wrong.

"Well," she lilted, and he knew what road they were going down as soon as she moved her hair aside to untie the strings of her halter dress and let it fall from her chest. "Then we better be quick."

Eric shook his head as he leaned into her, taking in the lacy little bralette it was good he didn't know she'd been wearing all night beneath that dress. He rested his forehead against hers, taking a moment to look aside and listen for little feet or voices before he returned his attention to her. His fingers slipped beneath the fabric of her dress at her thigh, caressing higher and higher as he afforded more bare skin to his eyes and hands, and he couldn't help but recognize that they were kind of picking up exactly where they'd left off earlier today.

He took a quick moment to take her in again, tousled blonde hair framing her face, eager lips awaiting his, and eyes studying his every move. He'd had so much resolve earlier about this very thing _not_ happening tonight, and yet here he was. A little smirk toyed at his lips as they found hers, his hands fulfilling their silent promise to progress things quickly as his thumb hooked around the edge of what felt like matching lace at her hip.

"What am I gonna do with you?" he mumbled against her lips, capturing them again as he felt her body arch into his.

Calleigh grinned against his mouth, waiting until their lips slowed and she could pull back a little. Her brows furrowed, a mix of confusion, awe, and happiness filling her features as she stared up at him. "Marry me, apparently," she said with a little disbelief, mirroring the grin that was currently working its way across his face.

Eric sighed happily as he rested his forehead against hers again, tipping his mouth toward hers until he could capture her lips in agreement.

/~/

Soft laughter escaped her lips as Eric's hand trailed back and forth over her now clothed hip. This was quite different than normal: the two of them bathed in the warmth and satiety of afterglow, yet completely clothed again and cuddled back up on the couch where more innocent positions could quickly be assumed should the need arise.

Eric chuckled alongside her, his free hand reaching behind him to better prop up the pillow beneath his head. Calleigh was tucked against him on her side, her head resting on his chest, one hand splayed across his abdomen. He still wasn't staying – they'd agreed – but neither of them wanted to part quite yet despite how late into the night it was. So instead they'd grabbed a blanket and snuggled up on the couch, exchanging light touches and kisses in the silence.

Calleigh bit her lip. "Maybe not my finest parenting moment."

His chest rumbled again with a laugh and she lifted her head to rest her chin atop his chest, looking up at him with eyes that were still bright but beginning to grow tired.

"It wasn't that bad," he assured despite his earlier reluctance. "Besides, you've literally been putting them before everything else since before you even brought them home."

Calleigh took in a deep breath, thinking about it for a moment, and then sighed hard. "I don't know about that."

"I do," he said, not missing a beat. "You've been literally perfect for them – and not in a too perfect kind of way. You're real and honest with them, teaching them to be good people."

A smile graced her lips at his words, but her thoughts quickly wandered. They were going to talk tomorrow, but while they were here and on the topic she couldn't help but voice her thoughts.

"They've had so much happen in their lives in such a short time…"

He could hear it in her voice: the battle between what she wanted and some unattainable level of stability she seemed to hold herself to. She'd seemed to have passed the point of holding herself back because of it, but the worry was definitely still there.

"And they're doing great," he reminded her, voice growing closer to sleep the longer he remained here, soothed by the feel of her warm body pressed against his.

The corners of her lips curved up, appreciative but not totally convinced. She laid the side of her face back against his chest, her body finally calming after its little rush of adrenaline, their time in the sun and the late hour catching up to her. He could practically feel her exhaustion, her body further molding against his as she went a little more lax.

"You're not gonna fall asleep, are you?" he asked, making sure.

"No," she insisted. "Just stay a few more minutes." She closed her eyes, so sure of her ability to hold onto her grasp on alertness.

"I can tuck you in," he offered, feeling dangerously close to closing his own eyes.

"Mmm." She smiled, easily imagining him lulling her to sleep before he left. But, ever practical, she mumbled, "I'd have to lock the door."

He paused a beat. "I think I might still have your key," he admitted, the low rumble of his voice close to a chuckle and further soothing her.

"Might wanna just hold onto that." She smiled, clearly overestimating her ability to hold onto the edge of wakefulness with him here, his voice and his warmth a powerful comfort.

And he'd completely overjudged his own hold on the situation, his eyes inadvertently fluttering closed the more her breathing slowed…


	15. Time We Made Time

_Note: Thank you so much for all the reviews from last time! So glad there are still people out there who love Eric and Calleigh as much as I do! Currently on break for a week and can't stop writing. :) Hope you enjoy._

* * *

As Eric's eyes fluttered open, he quickly realized his surroundings were a little off. Instead of the dimly lit living room they'd been cozying up to each other in, a bright, white light was filling his vision, making him close his eyes again until they'd adjusted. He swallowed the sleep from his throat and felt the warmth of Calleigh still pressed against him, urging him to blink his eyes open again. She'd slipped further down his chest throughout the night but she was still there, arm draped over his abdomen, legs tangled with his, blonde hair spilling across his arm.

He smiled, and then just as the realization that it was _morning_ hit his clouded brain and he pushed up a little, he realized two pairs of eyes had already discovered them. Austin and Claire, looking just as fresh from sleep, were standing in the entrance to the living room in their pajamas, their faces a mix of cautious optimism and mischievousness. Claire had a stuffed bunny hanging down at her side, and as Eric's eyes drew over the two of them, Claire hugged it close and pursed her lips to keep from giggling while Calleigh was sleeping.

Sighing, Eric's hand smoothed over Calleigh's side, feeling her stir against him in response.

As she breathed in deeply, beginning to let her own eyes flutter open, he told her, "We're being watched."

"Hmm?" Her brows furrowed as she lifted her head up and rested her chin on his chest.

He watched her come to the same realization that he had: that it was entirely too bright to still be night and that they'd been found, her eyes taking in the two sleepy kids a few yards away.

With Calleigh awake, Claire grinned and hopped over to the sofa. "You didn't tell us you were having a sleepover."

"Well we weren't, we fell asleep by accident," Calleigh admitted as she pushed up onto one arm, yawning and checking Eric's watch. "You guys are up early."

"Your alarm was going off, we unplugged it," Austin said, furrowing his brows in his half-asleep state. "Does that mean I can go back to sleep?" He was a little too groggy to comprehend the implications of seeing the two of them all cuddled up at six in the morning.

"Mmm, for like 30 minutes or so." Calleigh smiled apologetically, then laughed a little at the sleep-laden mix of confusion and relief on his face. "I'll wake you up."

Austin turned and began to retrace his steps, but halfway to the stairs he stopped, turned abruptly, and took them in with more alert eyes. It was like it was just now registering to him that Eric had stayed here, and that the somewhat compromising position he'd found them in was a bit strange given their recent distance.

He looked between the two of them with furrowed brows, his light brown eyes a mix of suspicion and excitement. "Are you guys like boyfriend and girlfriend again or something?"

"Um…" Calleigh smiled, looking over at Eric and rolling her lips together as she bought herself some time. She'd hoped they'd be able to talk this out a bit before getting to this point, but their inability to part last night was proving to have its consequences… "Yeah, something like that." She raised her brows inquisitively as she looked at Eric before turning back to Austin with a smile. "We'll talk about it tonight, okay?"

A cautious smile crept across Austin's lips. "You'll be here tonight?" he asked hopefully.

"Uhhh, maybe," Eric said hesitantly, looking at Calleigh and trying to gauge her thoughts. She was only pursing her lips to keep from smiling.

"Can we play basketball?!"

"We'll see about that," Calleigh interjected, her relaxed, smiling face nearly providing his answer. "You better get back to sleep if you want to."

With that, Austin finally headed up the stairs despite just now seeming to wake up. Calleigh ran a hand through her rather tousled hair and turned her attention back to Claire, who was idly waiting by the sofa. Calleigh sighed, giving into Claire's adorable notion of this being a sleepover as an amused smile spread across her lips.

"You wanna join the sleepover?"

Claire nodded excitedly, not having to be asked twice, and jumped up the moment Eric pushed himself a little more upright to make room. She easily squeezed herself in on the other side of Eric's legs, cuddling up to Calleigh and keeping her stuffed bunny tucked against her.

Calleigh reached over, smoothing Claire's mussed hair from sleep behind her ear. "How'd you sleep?"

"Good," Claire answered, and then a moment later her blue eyes lit up. "I had a dream we lived in a castle."

"Oh yeah?" Calleigh raised her brows in interest.

"What kind of castle?" Eric asked, and Claire focused her excited eyes on him as she tried to remember all the details.

"Like a Harry Potter castle," she said. "But brighter and happier and there was magic, and we had _horses!_ "

"Wow, that's quite a dream." He chuckled a little as Claire leaned forward onto him excitedly, having to push her long brown hair from her eyes again.

Calleigh couldn't help but watch the two of them with a bit of awe, their morning together feeling just a little too easy and natural after their "sleepover." She hated to interject, but it was a school and work day, and they were a little short on time.

Placing her hand atop Claire's head, she asked, "What do you want for breakfast?"

"Pancakes," Claire said quickly, her face falling a little at Calleigh's reaction.

"I don't think we have time," she admitted, glancing at Eric's watch again and taking in her own appearance: hair still a mess from the pool and the sun, still clothed in yesterday's post-pool attire. "I've gotta shower and get ready for work while you eat."

Eric looked between them, a little smile tugging at the corner of his lips as he rested a hand over Calleigh's shoulder. "Go get ready," he told her, nodding toward the stairs. "We'll get some pancakes going." His eyes silently conspired with Claire's, watching the mischievous smile that spread across her lips.

Calleigh smiled, eyes dancing between the two of them. "You sure?" she asked. "You don't need to go?"

"Nah, I'm good, it takes me like twenty minutes to get ready," he assured, again nodding toward the stairs. "Go ahead."

With an appreciative smile on her lips, she laid her palm against Claire's cheek affectionately before she began to push herself over Eric, stopping midway to press a lingering kiss to his cheek.

"Thank you," she said gratefully before she made her way to the stairs, stopping to look back and find Claire giggling as she dragged Eric off the couch on a pancake mission.

/~/

A short while later, Calleigh was slipping shoes on as she left her bedroom. It had been a while since she'd had this much time to herself in the morning, not having to wrangle kids who were distracted from getting ready in between her shower, hair, and make-up routine. Instead she'd had a solid 45 minutes to herself, which felt like a lifetime, and she was feeling extra refreshed as she made her way down the stairs, fully ready for once before checking on the kids.

She had a smile on her face before she'd even entered the kitchen, because from the hallway she could hear Austin talking about playing some game at recess and Claire giggling for some mysterious reason. As she stepped through the doorway, her smile only grew.

Austin was seated at the table finishing off a rather large stack of pancakes smothered in syrup, his hair still a mop of bedhead she was going to have to help him do something about. And Claire's giggling made sense now, because she was seated on the counter next to the sink, helping Eric with the dishes by adding what was definitely much more than a necessary amount of soap, bubbles growing higher and higher as the water ran.

"Okay, okay," Eric chuckled, gently laying down the law. "Enough bubbles."

She set the bottle aside with a mischievous grin, then picked up a towel as Eric handed her a pan, clearly taking her dish-drying job seriously.

The natural domesticity of it all hit Calleigh hard, and she had to take in a deep, steadying breath to keep her emotions at bay. She'd expected that they'd have to take things slow, gradually working him into their daily routine as the kids adjusted, which worried her a little given her and Eric's history and timeline. But this – this was a little too easy and perfect.

Claire spotted her first, smiling as she set the pan aside and reached for a foil-covered plate. "Calleigh! We saved you pancakes and eggs."

"That sounds amazing, I'm starving," she said as she walked over, happily accepting the plate full of food. "Thank you."

Eric's eyes landed on her, having to take a moment to rake in the sight of her all made up now, her gorgeous natural waves now tamed straight with just a touch of curl at the end, her navy suit and white top bringing out the bright green in her eyes. Those eyes met his for just a moment, emotions swirling between them as the implications became a little more obvious: the two of them sharing morning responsibilities, the ease and comfort of it all too telling.

She bit her lip, redirecting her attention to the kids. "Hey, I need you guys to go get dressed. We have to leave in…" She checked her watch. "Twenty-five minutes."

Giving Claire her free hand, she helped her off the counter and urged her towards the hallway while Austin scarfed down his last few bites of food. After dutifully rinsing off his dishes and putting them in the dishwasher, he was following Claire and scampering up the stairs.

Calleigh was still more than a little affected by the scene before her as Eric dried off the last dish, slowly realizing her eyes were lingering. "What?" he asked teasingly, fully knowing when her eyes drifted to the counter where Claire had been sitting and she smiled.

She was a little inappropriately attracted to him right now, so she left her plate on the counter and wedged herself between his body and the sink. Cupping the back of his neck, she drew their bodies closer and captured his lips with hers.

He couldn't help but let his hands fall to her hips, smiling against her lips as she deepened the kiss quickly and then slowed, finally parting again. "Thank you."

He sighed, bumping his forehead against hers as he leaned into her. "It's nothing," he said, but that wasn't true at all and judging by the smirk still clinging to his lips, he knew it. "You still coming over to talk after you drop them off?"

Smiling coyly, Calleigh let her eyes drop to his chest, where his t-shirt was rather perfectly hugging his muscular frame she hadn't gotten to see enough of last night, and then back up to the deep brown of his eyes. "Uh huh."

* * *

Eric had just slipped his button-up over his shoulders when he heard his front door creak open and Calleigh's voice call out to him.

"Hey, it's me."

A smirk tugged at his lips as he secured a few of the bottom buttons on his way down the hall. She met him near the end of the hallway, just having climbed the short few steps up from his foyer and living room.

"Hey," he greeted back, watching her gaze dip to take in his current state: dress pants on, shirt partially buttoned.

She was silently wondering why he had so many clothes on as she made her way to him, grabbing a fistful of his shirt and tugging him towards her. His hands settled on her waist as she captured his lips with hers, seemingly picking right back up where she'd left off this morning before little feet scampered back down to the kitchen. He smiled against her lips, triggering one of her own, and she sandwiched his bottom lips between hers as her hands continued where his had left off on his shirt – only she was slipping buttons through the other direction.

"Not that I'm complaining..." he managed between kisses. "But I thought we were talking." Another kiss. "Before work."

She grinned, pulling back to meet his eyes playfully before she pushed the fabric from his shoulders, hands skimming over his now bare shoulders as she drew his lips back to hers. "I can multitask."

"Oh yeah?" His hands moved to her hips, tugging her tucked-in blouse from her pants in search of skin.

"Uh huh," she mumbled against his lips as she reclaimed them, which just made him all the more determined to make her completely lose her mind.

He chuckled against her mouth, kissing the corner of her lips as he agreed. "Okay then."

His fingers crept across her skin, splaying his hand against her abdomen and both feeling and hearing a pleased sigh escape her lips. "So the kids kinda know…" he began, trying not to think too much about how one of her hands had come to rest at his waistband, tugging him closer. The other was tracing the contours of his shoulder, her fingertips sinking in as his lips found hers again, his tongue slowly tasting her.

Calleigh returned the kiss, sighing when their lips parted so she could respond. "Yeah…"

"Austin seemed to know we dated," he pointed out, watching her close her eyes as he ran a hand through her long blonde hair and tucked it behind her ear.

"I told them a while ago," she admitted, a smile gracing her lips as her eyes flickered open to find him watching her. "They asked. I don't lie to them." She shrugged coyly, gaze raking down his chest as her fingers tangled with his. Tugging him back down the hall, she turned to watch him follow her all too willingly. Soon, he'd caught up to her and wrapped his arms around her from behind, palm resting low on her abdomen.

"Well that explains some things," he said, beginning to search for the buttons of her top. Finding the first, he slipped it through as his lips landed on her jaw.

"Like?" she asked, a little breathless as his kisses crossed over to her neck.

"Like why Claire was asking me what I wanted in a girlfriend when I watched her," he said, both feeling and hearing Calleigh's soft laughter. "And if I still liked you."

She nodded, pursing her lips. Somehow she wasn't surprised. "They like you."

He grinned as he pushed the last of her buttons through, sliding one side of her shirt down over one shoulder to reveal bare skin and simple, sexy black bra. "It's mutual," he uttered against her skin, pressing a kiss there before he slipped her arm from the sleeve.

"It's adorable." She turned in his arms, letting him slip her blouse from her other shoulder. And very, very attractive, she added silently, biting her lip. Her eyes practically spoke the words, though, and he chuckled, watching her gaze dance over him. "This morning was…"

"Really good," he finished for her as he began to back her up into his room.

"I was gonna go with perfect," she said, hands finding his waist again and making quick work of the buckle of his belt. Why had he put that on, anyway?

As the backs of her knees bumped against the bed, she let him lower her down, his lips melding with hers as his body covered hers. Their hips kissed and he let out a little groan of approval, hands busying themselves with removing her dress pants. Reminded of his task to drive her crazy enough that she couldn't converse, his lips abandoned hers for skin and trailed a pathway down her chest. His hands began a new mission there, running along the band of her bra until he'd unhooked the clasps in back and removed the material.

It took her a moment, but she continued. "Is it wrong that I want you there tonight?"

"I don't know," he mumbled as he kissed an invisible line down the valley between her breasts. He rested his forehead against her ribs, sighing as her fingers pressed in to the muscles in his shoulder before cupping the back of his neck. "Is it wrong that I want to be there?"

"No." She smiled sadly, eyes idly searching for answers across his ceiling. "I just don't want to change things on them too soon…" she admitted, and he knew she was talking about more than just him staying the night or even moving in. She was again torn between what they both wanted as soon as possible, what they may not have time to wait for, and wondering if it would be too much too soon for Austin and Claire, who'd just gone through years of nonstop change up until six months ago.

Eric swallowed hard, his warm breath fanning across her abdomen. This conversation was important to him, but so was letting his hands and lips explore her like they hadn't gotten to last night – like he hadn't done in weeks, maybe months. Letting his hand skim up her side as he moved back up to meet her eyes, he felt her breathe in deeply at the emotion in his gaze.

"Whatever happens," he began, thumb lovingly caressing her skin. "I think with us together we'd just be making them part of an even bigger, more loving family. And I don't think there's anything better you can give a kid."

Calleigh bit her lip, a little more affected than she cared to admit by the word "family" leaving his lips. She didn't really have any more words. He was right; she'd already enveloped those kids in a household of love and support, and Eric being there was certainly only going to enhance that. Her fingers resumed their slow, delicate rhythm at the back of his neck and she closed her eyes as his head dipped into the crook of her neck again.

"I love you and those kids, Cal," he whispered as he pressed kisses toward the base of her ear, his words and warm breath leaving chills across her skin and raising the hairs at the back of her neck.

"We love you, too." Her brows furrowed with emotion and her hands tried to slip down to his sides to press him against her, but his lips had already resumed their path downward, leaving hot, lingering kisses over her collarbone, chest, and ribs.

She swallowed hard with emotion and desire, arching into his touch as his hand at the small of her back encouraged her closer.

"I'm gonna have to stop talking now," she admitted, feeling him chuckle at her hip. Mission accomplished.


	16. Here and Whole

_Note: Ask and you shall receive 😉 I've seriously been writing like crazy over my little break, which is good and bad. Good because you get lots of updates and I enjoy it, but bad because this story is quickly coming to an end. This is the second to last update for this story. I just have this chapter plus an epilogue to go. I don't have a ton of multi-chapter story ideas at the moment, so I don't know how soon I'll get another one going...but I do have a few one-shot ideas, so look for those! Including one very soon. :) Hope you all enjoy – and to those in the US, I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving!_

* * *

From across the dining room table, Calleigh caught Eric's gaze and nodded toward Claire, both of them smiling as they watched her pick her plate up in both hands and lick the remnants of slow-simmered Cuban beans and rice from her plate. Eric had made them dinner – he'd insisted because she'd done it for him several dozen times lately – and it appeared to be going over well.

"I think she likes it," Calleigh said, eyes dancing between the two of them as Claire let out a short-lived giggle.

"Thank you for dinner, Eric," Claire said, completely unprompted, which made Calleigh's heart swell a little with pride.

"Yeah, thanks Eric," Austin chimed in, a good way through his second helping.

"You're welcome," Eric told them both, eyes then drifting Calleigh's way again. She raised her brows in question and he shrugged, taking a sip from his glass of wine. Now was as good a time as any.

"Hey, so, Eric and I wanted to talk to you guys about something," Calleigh began, pushing her plate forward and resting her folded arms on the table.

"About how you're boyfriend and girlfriend again?" Claire asked, giggling again behind the plate she still had up obscuring most of her face. Had they not heard her, her blue eyes, the only part of her face visible, completely gave her away. They were sparkling, bright, and mischievous, and they had Calleigh wondering when the heck the shy, guarded version of Claire she'd originally met had been so fully replaced with this personality she knew had been lurking beneath. She kind of loved it.

"Well, yeah," Calleigh said, looking around the table to find three other smiles, Austin's a touch of smug I-told-you-so. "But you're going to be seeing a lot more of Eric," she added, watching the rather adorable exchange of smiles between Eric and Claire. "And we wanted to see how you guys would feel about Eric living here with us."

The smiles only broadened, combined with surprised, excited raises of the kids' brows as they looked between Eric and Calleigh for confirmation.

"That would be awesome," Austin finally said. "Then we could do more stuff together."

Claire nodded enthusiastically, but a moment later she looked a little more thoughtful. "But we don't have any more bedrooms. Where's Eric gonna go?"

Calleigh bit her lip, glancing at Eric with a mixture of amusement and concern. Claire was only seven, but she was generally pretty smart and intuitive for her age – only, Calleigh realized with a little ache in her heart, Claire had pretty much never been around a happy couple. Her mother passed away when she was two, long before she probably could recall, and since then she'd been living with her mess of a father and a blur of people in foster homes.

Calleigh had been so concerned with changing things on them too soon and providing a stable environment that she hadn't even thought about the positives of modeling a happy, loving relationship for them. But now it was blatantly obvious, and while she'd had every bit of confidence that her home as a single mom would be a great one, she was suddenly a little overwhelmed with this new realization. She and Eric were about to give these kids something she hadn't even had as a child: two parent figures who were head over heels for each other and focused on the well-being of the kids.

Calleigh opened her mouth to explain, but thankfully Austin already had it under control.

"No, he's gonna move into Calleigh's room," he told her. "Like how couples and married people live together."

 _That_ she understood, and it was like a light bulb sharing the same idea had suddenly lit in both their minds.

"Are you guys gonna get married?" Austin asked, gaze moving between Claire's excited face and Calleigh and Eric.

Calleigh's lips parted to speak again, but instead she ended up pressing them together to keep from smiling, glancing over at Eric to find a similar look etched across his features. She'd expected this conversation to go pretty well – Austin and Claire adored him – but man, they were all over this.

"Maybe," she finally said, still finding the idea a little crazy herself. "It's been discussed."

"Yessss," Austin let out with a little fist pump.

Claire's excitement had exceeded the bounds of sitting still, and she pushed her chair away from the table, slipped out of her seat, and practically jumped over to Calleigh.

"Are you going to have a wedding with pretty flowers?" she asked, slowly crawling into her lap.

"I don't know about all that…" Calleigh said, wrapping her arms around Claire's small frame and watching the playful little pout her lips pushed into. "The important thing is that Eric and I will both be here for you guys, and we'll both always do what's best for you, and –"

"What about a cake?" Claire asked, blue eyes now searching Eric's face from her new spot in Calleigh's lap rather than listening to Calleigh remind her of things she already knew.

Eric was grinning despite Calleigh's attempts at a serious conversation. "Well, I definitely think we should have a cake."

"Yesssss."

Calleigh's eyes playfully narrowed on Eric, shaking her head as she pursed her lips at him egging Claire on. She knew it was a losing battle, though, when Austin got up in search of a basketball for a few after-dinner hoops and Claire ran off to find her shoes.

Apparently there wasn't a need to discuss their new normal. There was only a need to live the life they'd been depriving themselves of for far too long.

* * *

When Eric told his mother he'd have a little surprise for her at their weekly family dinner this week, she was expecting something along the lines of a nice Cuban rum or the chocolate eclairs he sometimes picked up when work brought him near a certain bakery they all loved. She was not, however, expecting to look up from their back patio to find her son letting two kids into the yard before holding the gate open for Calleigh. His hand quickly found hers once they were in, and Clorinda felt her heart swell a little with happiness for her son as she watched Calleigh lean in when they thought no one had seen them yet, whispering something in his ear that made him smile – well, made him smile _more_. Because he seemed to be unable to stop, a little smirk constantly tugging at his lips as they walked over.

Clorinda wrapped her hand around her eldest daughter's arm, capturing Christina's attention, and nodded toward them. When Christina's eyes landed on her brother, Calleigh, and two kids running ahead, she smiled thoughtfully, happy but not entirely surprised, and Clorinda studied her carefully.

"Did you know about this?"

"No," Christina said, brows furrowing at the half-truth. Technically, it depended on which _this_ Clorinda was referring to: that they were all coming tonight, which was a no, or that Eric and Calleigh were back together and mayyyybe living together, which was a yes. She knew all about that, because she and Claire had helped Eric with a super secret task last week and he'd filled her in.

Amelia had joined them now, grinning at the sight of her brother and Calleigh here again with joined hands and happy smiles.

"When did this happen?" she asked, trying to gauge whether either of the other Delko women had any details. Just a few weeks ago, Calleigh had picked Claire up from here and she and Eric had been a ball of tension, confusion, longing, and unvoiced feelings. And now they were...this.

Christina shrugged, expertly feigning naivety because she was the sole good liar of the Delko bunch. The three of them watched Claire and Austin seamlessly join in with the other kids kicking a ball around, eyes then expectantly falling to Eric and Calleigh as they reached them.

"Well this is a good surprise," Clorinda said, beaming as she pointedly wrapped Calleigh in a warm hug before she'd even greeted her own son.

Calleigh's arms instinctively wrapped around her, soaking up the comfort and Clorinda's happiness at having her back here. And as her hand rested on Clorinda's back, Christina's eyes widened excitedly at the new little piece of jewelry adorning Calleigh's left hand: a white gold band with an elegant round diamond, gorgeous without being excessive. She'd only noticed because she'd been looking for it after spending an afternoon in and out of jewelry stores with him and Claire.

Her eyes quickly darted to Eric, who gave her a warning look just before Clorinda released Calleigh and wrapped her son close.

"I would ask how you are, but…" she trailed off, hearing him chuckle.

"Yeah, we're uh, really good," he said, catching Calleigh's gaze as she smiled knowingly, his eyes then drifting to the yard to follow those kids Clorinda knew he was going to grow hopelessly attached to. "Got a question for you though…" he began again, hand finding the small of Calleigh's back affectionately resting there.

Christina's head perked up again because she was on edge now that she knew and no one else did, and while he'd entrusted her with this secret for a relatively short time, she wasn't sure she would be able to keep her cool much longer surrounded by family.

"Que?" Clorinda asked, already busying herself with scooping up a few of the napkins and cups the kids had left on a table.

"Do you think we could use your yard in a few weeks to host a somewhat large gathering?" Eric's tongue immediately went into his cheek and a grin spread across his lips, his words completely casual and his face completely not.

"Not that large," Calleigh interjected, and Clorinda's eyes danced between them as she watched Calleigh wrap her arms around Eric's middle. She was missing something – and she didn't like it.

Christina pressed her lips together and looked down, her composure failing her – and Amelia finally noticed, her eyes intently studying her sister suspiciously before looking back to Eric and Calleigh.

"Like a party?" Clorinda's brows furrowed.

"Like...technically a wedding." Eric chuckled, anxiously rubbing at his cheek because he knew he was about to get an earful for not telling them what was going on sooner. It had just happened so fast. One minute they'd been wading through the emotional baggage of not knowing whether they wanted the same things, and the next they were spending successive nights together putting kids to bed and talking babies and new houses.

A mouthful of incomprehensible Spanish rolled off Clorinda's tongue as she lightly and playfully shoved Eric before wrapping him in another hug, this time kissing his cheek. Eric smiled as he watched her move on to Calleigh, sweeping her into a longer hug this time as she told her, "Welcome to the family, mija."

* * *

 _A few weeks later…_

As Eric shoved the last log into place and watched the flames before him in the fireplace dance higher, he relaxed back onto his heels and surveyed his work. He sure didn't have a lot of experience starting fires, and he was pretty pleased with himself for getting the dang thing going that quickly. He stood up and looked behind him for Calleigh, who'd been putting things away in their temporary kitchen for the next four days, eyes searching to no avail until he noticed her through the window.

With a disbelieving smile, he armed himself with a heavy blanket from the couch before venturing out onto the porch. She turned at the sound of the door, smiling softly at him as she leaned into the railing, arms laying over the icy surface she couldn't feel at all through the thick white coat she'd borrowed from a snowboarder friend.

"You know this is like the exact opposite of sitting by the fire," he chided her, coming up behind her and enclosing her in both his arms and the blanket. Her arms instinctively came to rest over his beneath the warmth.

"I know, it's so pretty though," she let out, brows furrowing intently as she took in the scene before them: a winter wonderland surrounding this little cottage, a snow and ice covered forest stretching out into a valley before them with new flakes beginning to fall. It seemed both cold and dangerous yet oddly peaceful to two Miamians. "And quiet."

"It is quiet," he agreed, resting his chin on her shoulder and searching for signs of life in the whiteout before them. "Maybe that's just 'cause we have two kids at home though."

She laughed and he felt it throughout her abdomen. "Maybe."

He pressed his lips to her cheek, snuggling up into the crook of her neck as the cold quickly got to him. Neither of them were used to this weather, and it had seemed an unlikely choice for a honeymoon to a lot of people. But they already lived in a relatively tropical destination, the beach was a ten minute walk from their home, and they'd seen far too many cabanas and fruity drinks in their lifetime. So instead they wanted to experience something neither of them had before, something that seemed pretty romantic to two people who'd barely seen snow before: a cozy little cottage in the Colorado mountains, with not much to do besides drink hot chocolate and cuddle up by a roaring fire. People kept asking if they wanted to ski or snowboard, to which Calleigh kept politely replying "maybe" while Eric took the honest, more implicative route and admitted "not really," which generally earned him a pursed-lip shake of the head from Calleigh.

"I don't think I've ever been this cold before," Calleigh said with a little awe, drawing him from her neck to rest his chin back on her shoulder.

Taking in her adorably red nose and the visible breath clinging to the air before them, Eric urged, "Let's go inside."

She followed him in, immediately feeling the strong warmth of the fire filling the first floor of the house, and slipped her jacket off.

"Look, you're a pro," she remarked as she took in the fire, drawing closer to feel its warmth.

Eric chuckled as he joined her in front of the fire, still trying to maximize their body heat to warm him from the trip outside and wrapping the blanket back around her along with his arms.

"Ready to move to Colorado?" he teased, enjoying the crazy look she gave him.

"No," she said easily, thinking of the kids and their jobs and Eric's family and all the lovely homes in Surfside they'd been eyeing lately. "Miami's home."

"It is," he agreed, leaning down to rest his forehead against hers and thinking of how that simple word had come to mean a lot more to him in the past few weeks.

Tilting his chin toward hers, he pressed his lips against hers and sighed a little at how relaxing this was. The two of them were finally here, bringing all those dreams and wants that had been etched in his file years ago to life. Though it had gone a little differently than he'd ever expected, he wouldn't have changed a thing.

Just as his hand drifted to guide her chin and his lips begged more of hers, Calleigh paused, pulling back to bite her lip and let her eyes dance between his.

"I have a little wedding present for you," she admitted, heart pounding in her chest at the reminder.

Eric studied her suspiciously. "I thought we said no gifts…"

"I didn't buy anything," she assured, watching the perplexity grow across his features. Pressing her lips together, she tried to keep the corners of her mouth from giving a smile away. "I, um, got my IUD out like a month ago…"

She raised her brows at the awestruck look on his face, finally letting a playful grin creep across her lips. He was completely silent as he let that sink in, doing the math and thinking of the many, many opportunities over the past month or so as a little chuckle escaped his lips.

"I thought you wanted to wait until after the wedding…"

"I said maybe we should…and you seemed very impatient," she reminded him, playful eyes holding his as they both recalled the night they'd talked about it. There had been a lot of...impatience that night, with him pressing heated kisses to her neck the moment she'd sat on the edge of the bed to join him for the evening. Granted, having that conversation as he'd slipped her clothes from her skin and pressed his lips against her shoulder may not have been the _best_ idea, but they seemed to be having all their important conversations that way lately…

He tilted his head and sighed a little, though a little smirk wouldn't quite leave his lips; if not for her playful demeanor he'd have been worried he'd pressured her a little too soon, but she was biting her lip again like she was equally as guilty.

"And I couldn't wait either, so…" She looked off to the side, briefly avoiding his amused eyes.

"So...you could be pregnant any time now," he surmised, hands drifting down her sides as she caught his eyes surveying her face with an unprecedented amount of desire and emotion.

"Technically, yeah." She grinned, his hands warming her back as they settled into the curve there.

That knowledge made him want her just a little more than he had already, which was a lot, and she knew she was in trouble when his lips captured hers in a sexy little press-and-slide, lips and teeth tugging at her bottom lip before he captured them again.

"Best wedding present ever," he mumbled against her mouth, silencing her soft laughter with heated kisses and bolder touches.


	17. Family

_Note: Apologies for the wait on this! There are two reasons for it, the second of which I think you will enjoy. The first is that I had my finals last week and life was pretty much insane. The second is that I actually wrote the whole epilogue before finals only to realize I never covered something I really wanted to cover. SO, the extra good news is that you get one more chapter plus the epilogue still. Here's the last chapter! I should have the epilogue up soon since it's already done and all. :)_

* * *

Calleigh hadn't known what to expect from this situation. She'd always been open and honest with Austin and Claire about their father, and she'd always _always_ made sure of two things: that they knew she wasn't trying to replace anyone, and that the offer to try to visit him was always open.

But up until now, neither of them had been ready. Claire was always wary of him, confused about what had happened and only understanding that her dad had done some very bad things and tried to hurt someone. Austin, on the other hand, had been older and more involved; he'd known his dad tried to hurt a police officer, that he'd done a multitude of things that only bad guys did. He'd known it so deeply and understood enough to help them catch him. And up until a few weeks ago, he'd wanted absolutely nothing to do with him.

But then he'd asked one night at dinner: "Can I go see my dad?" And then, looking between Eric and Calleigh a little sheepishly, he'd added, "Like my biological dad." Calleigh had completely melted, the implication not lost on either of them as her eyes softened on Eric with an amused smile.

"I'll see what I can do," she'd promised – and then she pulled every string in her power to make it happen. It wasn't easy getting approved to bring two kids into a maximum security prison to visit a man who'd kidnapped and attempted to murder a sworn officer of the law. It had definitely taken several phone calls and a little persistence, but here they were: on the other side of a glass wall, a speaker box between them.

It had been awkward at first; Austin was evidently rather upset with his father still, and Claire was the most unsure Calleigh had seen her in months. But they'd warmed up a little, telling him about their school and friends and how they were looking at new houses with big yards to play in that weren't too far from the beach.

At first, Calleigh had been acutely honed in on Austin and Claire, dutifully observing every glance and expression to make sure they were doing okay, but as conversing grew easier her eyes had drifted to Randy. In between watching his children with astonishment, hurt, regret, and awe, his emotional, red-rimmed eyes would dart over to Calleigh. And by the end, when he'd said a difficult goodbye to each of them, he'd fixed his gaze on Calleigh as she was about to lead them out.

"CSI Duquesne?"

She met his eyes, and as Claire gripped tightly to her hand and Randy studied her gratefully, she understood.

"I don't think I can find the words to tell you how much it means to me to know they're okay, and I don't think I can ever properly thank you for taking them in," he said emotionally, eyes drifting back to his perfect kids who were healthy, happy, and polite, and making friends along with straight A's. "But thank you."

Calleigh's brows furrowed with emotion, a sad but reassuring smile lifting the corners of her lips. A year ago, she could've pretended to understand what it would mean to a parent to know your children were happy and well in your absence, but now she actually, truly did.

"You're welcome," she said genuinely. "They make it easy." Running one hand over Claire's french braid and resting her other over Austin's mop of curls, she added, "They're amazing."

Randy nodded in agreement, his eyes drawing over his kids one last time.

"We'll send you pictures more often," Calleigh promised, offering Randy a sad smile before they exited the visitation room.

As they made their way out of the prison, Claire's hand clung tightly to Calleigh's. At first, Calleigh thought she was afraid of her surroundings. They were at a maximum security facility, and she was just a newly eight-year-old girl. But even once they'd left the buzzing, crashing doors, gated entrances and exits, armed guards, and metal detectors, Claire was grasping her so tightly both their knuckles were turning white.

Once they'd made it to the visitor parking area, which was was surprisingly well landscaped – probably to make visitors more comfortable – Calleigh guided them over to a nice wooden bench instead of her SUV. Claire finally released her hand as she sat down, folding her hands protectively into her lap.

"You doing okay, Claire?" Calleigh asked softly, taking a seat next to her and rubbing a hand encouragingly up and down her back.

Claire nodded hollowly, seemingly folding into herself in a way that Calleigh hadn't seen in a long time. Maybe this had been a mistake…

As she lifted her hand and smoothed it through Claire's hair, Calleigh's eyes drifted over her head toward Austin. He was also quiet, but less introspective and more obviously disappointed and angry.

"How about you?" Calleigh asked, checking in on him.

"I'm fine," Austin assured, dragging his eyes up from the ground to meet Calleigh's. "I just don't get him. He acts like he cares about us but he messed everything up."

"I don't get my dad either," Calleigh commisserated. "But you know, it's hard to understand why people do what they do. Your dad's been through a lot."

"So have we," Austin pointed out a little bitterly. "And we wouldn't try to hurt anyone."

Calleigh swallowed hard, forcing a sad smile. He had a point, and she couldn't really argue with it. "I know, bud. I love you guys for it."

When she glanced back at Claire, she noticed a couple tears slowly trailing down her cheeks and she pulled her close, kissing the crown of her head. Claire's arm immediately wrapped over her own, fingers fisting the sleeve of her black button-up into her palm.

"I'm sorry if that was too much, baby," Calleigh apologized, but Claire shook her head. That wasn't why she was crying. She'd wanted to go; she'd needed to be sure of how she felt about him.

"Is it wrong that I'm glad he's in jail?" Claire asked softly, making Calleigh sigh deeply. "He scares me."

"No," she answered honestly. "He's exactly where he should be."

Calleigh rubbed her hand up and down Claire's arm soothingly and felt her turn against her chest, resting her forehead just under Calleigh's collarbone.

"Is it wrong that I think you're more my mom and Eric's more my dad than he is my dad even though he's my real dad?"

Calleigh froze at that, heart knocking hard against her chest as she slowly moved her hand to cup the back of Claire's head, her fingers slipping into Claire's hair. Even though she'd had them a year and for all intents and purposes she was their "adoptive mother," that wasn't a word she heard very often. They'd known her as Calleigh, and she'd had no intention of ever suggesting she take someone else's place.

"No," Austin answered for her without hesitation. "Cause it's true."

Calleigh turned to meet his eyes, smiling sadly and emotionally. She reached a hand over, resting it over his shoulder, and he smiled a little.

"I don't think so," Calleigh answered thoughtfully. "Sometimes families are like that."

"Can I call you my mom then?" Claire asked, effectively emotionally suckerpunching Calleigh.

She had to take in a deep, steadying breath as Claire pulled back, bright blue eyes free of tears now and expectantly awaiting an answer. Calleigh released her breath, feeling it shudder under the weight of emotion as it left her chest.

"You can call me whatever you feel comfortable calling me," she finally answered, watching Claire's lips curve upward in response.

"Can we call Eric dad, too?" Austin asked, the two of them looking a little more like siblings than usual as Calleigh took in two pairs of excited eyes. Claire's smile widened as she again waited expectantly for Calleigh's response.

"You should talk to Eric about that," she said, knowing Eric would want the opportunity to talk things out with them. Her mischievous smile gave them both a pretty good indication of how he would feel, though. "But I'm pretty sure he'd be more than okay with that."

Calleigh watched as Claire looked back at Austin, sharing a satisfied smile like they had talked about this before, and then she checked her watch. It was 2:32, and as of this morning Eric had made a 3:15 appointment to view a rather perfect looking house in Surfside that had just gone on the market.

"You guys ready to meet Eric for some house hunting?" she asked, eyeing her car. "He's pretty excited about this one."

/~/

As it turned out, he had pretty great reason to be. The house was gorgeous and in a perfect, family-friendly neighborhood. It checked off every single one of their boxes: two-car garage, at least four bedrooms, a quick bike ride or long walk from the beach, space for a basketball hoop, and a generous backyard for Miami.

It needed just enough work to make it realistic and in their price range: the landscaping could use some work and many of the rooms needed to be repainted. But as Calleigh finished one last lap around the first floor and stepped up to the large sliding glass door that had two door-sized window panes next to it that overlooked the backyard, she realized just how easily this could feel like home. This space got the best of the afternoon light – bright but not too direct – and it had a perfect view of the stone patio and yard that gave way to palm trees and foliage.

She turned, taking in the clean white kitchen across the house and making note of every perfectly placed window with a view before she turned back to the windows before her. Claire was already making the most of the backyard, skipping between the grey stone patio tiles and running her finger along the large patio table the current owners had left behind for now.

At the sound of the front door opening, she glanced back to find Eric strolling back in with his hands in his pockets.

"He's putting some feelers out about how many offers they have," he said, nodding towards the front of the house, where their realtor was making some calls.

At the thought of other people competing for this, her brows furrowed a little and her eyes grew soft as she watched Claire chase after Austin into the palm trees. When she looked back at Eric, he tilted his head, an amused smile lighting up his face as he chuckled.

"I know that look…" he implored as he stepped up behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist.

"I love this house," she easily blurted out, turning to rest her forehead against his chin.

"No," he teased. "Never woulda guessed."

Smiling, she sighed and closed her eyes for a moment. "And I love that you knew I would love this house," she added, reaching up to press her palm over his cheek.

He smiled, reveling in her openness. She seemed a little emotional today, and whether it was the house or the visit with Claire and Austin's father or a combo of both, he wasn't going to point it out right now. He just pressed his lips to her forehead and secured his arms tighter around her.

"Should I not get my hopes up?" she asked, knowing it was a lost cause as she continued to watch the kids explore the yard.

"Well," Eric began, following her gaze. "They've had a crap ton of viewings already, but apparently the owner is chief of police for the next town over, sooo…"

"So he might pick two upstanding members of the Miami Dade police force?" Calleigh surmised hopefully.

"Realtor thinks so as long as we offer asking price."

Calleigh smiled, leaning her head back against his chest and shoulder as she surveyed the tall white walls of the open first floor.

"It's a big house," she noted with a hint of amusement. When she first bought her home, it had seemed huge with its corner kitchen, three bedrooms she'd used as offices and guest rooms for a long time, and patio that seemed tiny now. This one was bigger than her house and his condo combined, and she was finding it a little crazy that all those cliche things like good school districts, a yard, and a white picket fence – which, go figure, this house had – mattered now.

"We might need a big house," he playfully reminded, placing a kiss along her jaw as his fingers trailed over her abdomen. She smiled thoughtfully in response, eyes automatically drifting through the glass in search of Austin and Claire. His eyes followed hers again and he asked, "How was today?"

"Hard," she answered honestly, brows knitting together as she thought of everyone involved. It had been rough on their father to be confronted with everything he was missing out on, seeing them thrive in an environment he never could've given them. It had been hard on Austin and Claire to see him again, both to see him like that and to experience the disappointment, frustration, fear and abandonment all over again. And it hard been hard on her to see Austin and Claire recede into themselves again, even if only momentarily. "But it was good," she assured. "Seemed to give them both some kind of closure or confirmation of how they felt about him."

"That's good," he agreed, lips moving against her cheek.

"They asked if they could call me mom…" she said with awe, feeling him smile and then hearing him chuckle in her ear. That, along with the other events of the day, explained the emotion that seemed to be clinging to her eyes today. He could tell that, as much as it meant to her, she was a little conflicted about it.

"You are their mom," he told her softly. "Unfortunately I think they lost both parents a long time ago…" he added, and she knew exactly what he meant. "They'd gone without parents in their life for way too long before you. They're lucky to have you."

Calleigh turned her head, resting the crown of her head just beneath his and smiling appreciatively.

"They asked about calling you dad, too, you know," she said, pulling back just in time to watch him get just as emotionally overwhelmed and blindsided as she had earlier. His dark eyes were deep and questioning as they held hers, his brows furrowing with emotion. "I told them they should ask you...thought I'd give you a heads up since I was completely emotionally unprepared and you're a bigger softie than me, so…"

She smiled knowingly, watching him not quite get over the awe yet as she pressed her lips to his.

And then, forced to eat her words all too quickly, she found herself completely done for at the sound of Claire's little voice.

"Mama, come look!" she called out, peeking her head through the sliding door. "We found a fountain! I think it's broken but maybe if we buy this house we could fix it."

Calleigh was frozen there, blinking her bright green eyes as Claire waited patiently and her heart just about beat right out of her chest. Eric's chuckling brought her back and she glanced at him, smiling disbelievingly as she reached for his hand and began to lead him outside.

"What were you saying about me?" he teased as they slipped through the door.

"Shut it." Calleigh laughed softly as they trailed behind Claire, stepping over stones in the garden that would hopefully become theirs.


	18. Home

_Note: Okay, I'm actually really really sad about finishing this. This is probably the quickest I've ever written any story and I am really going to miss writing it. I have some things in the works, but nothing quite like this yet...just a possible series of kinda connected chronological one-shots that I've been toying with because I've been going back and rewatching the show from the beginning. Hopefully something else comes to mind, though. Or maybe I'll finally work on the novel I've been meaning to write for years. :)_

 _Thank you all so much for following along and reading this story. It means so much to me! I hope you all have a wonderful holiday season and Happy New Year._

* * *

 _Two months later_

As Eric pulled into the driveway of the two-story house in the Surfside suburbs they'd recently begun to call home, he smiled as the garage door lifted and he maneuvered his car in next to Calleigh's SUV. It was crazy how quickly this place had become home, even with bare walls, several empty rooms, and boxes piled in every corner. It was the three people inside his heart couldn't wait to get to, though.

Closing the door that connected the garage to the rest of the house, Eric began to make his way through the large white kitchen with gorgeous marble counters, surprised when he had yet to be greeted. Even when he was late getting home, he was usually met with the pounding of kids' feet across the hardwood floors followed shortly by Calleigh's soft smile and welcoming arms.

He double-checked the time as he entered the broad hallway: 8pm on a Friday – later than he'd thought the recovery dive would go but a little too early for Austin and Claire to be tucked into bed and far too early for Calleigh to have ended her productivity streak. She'd been on a mission since they'd moved in two days ago – and those had all been weekdays. She'd been talking all week about everything she was going to do this weekend: unpacking the living room, arranging the furniture, picking out a Christmas tree, getting the kitchen organized, and painting Claire's room the perfect shade of purple Claire had picked out all by herself at Lowe's.

And as he quietly crept into the living room, he knew there were far too many boxes haphazardly stacked for Calleigh to relax.

That, however, did not explain the rather adorable sight that greeted him. One of their couches was pushed into a clearly temporary position against a wall, not centered against or positioned to anything in the room. Calleigh was curled up on her side at one end, asleep with several throw pillows supporting her and Claire, who was cuddled up in her arms like a much younger child with her back against Calleigh's chest and a cozy blanket surrounding them both. Austin was covered in a blanket of his own and just as fast asleep, propped up with a bunch of pillows against Calleigh's thighs – which was especially sweet for a now eleven year old boy. They were all positioned to view the one thing Calleigh had apparently managed to unpack: their TV and Roku player, currently streaming an appropriately festive movie for December 10th: The Grinch. It was sitting atop a temporary tv stand of boxes, their new entertainment center sitting in pieces within a box in one nearby corner. Clearly she hadn't gotten very far into that whole unpacking thing…

It all seemed uncharacteristically chaotic for Calleigh, and a little smirk was tugging at the edges of his lips as he slowly approached the couch.

He woke Austin first, running a hand over his mop of curls as his eyes blinked open.

"Hey bud," he said softly, watching Austin confusedly take in his surroundings. "Can I get you to go get ready for bed?"

Still half asleep, Austin lifted his head and nodded, eyes still squinting in the dim light. He slowly crawled out from beneath the blanket, taking a moment before he stood, and Eric placed an encouraging hand over his shoulder before he finally got moving.

Eric set his sights on Claire next, carefully trying to untangle her from Calleigh's arms without waking anyone. He didn't think he'd actually be successful – Calleigh was a light sleeper – but she lasted a little longer than he thought. It wasn't until her arm slipped from Claire's body that she stirred, taking a deep breath in and letting her eyes flicker open at the movement. The sight before her was immediately comforting: Claire crumpled against Eric's chest, her arms instinctively wrapping around his neck and lightly holding on.

"Hey," he said softly, voice a little low and gravelly as he tried to be quiet. "I'm gonna take her up."

"Okay." Calleigh attempted a tired smile, but her eyes were already fluttering closed again as she rested her chin atop the pillow in an attempt to stay alert.

Smiling, Eric adjusted the blanket from where he'd slipped Claire out, tucking it back around Calleigh before he made his way up the stairs. After a pit stop for some probably ineffective, half-asleep tooth brushing, he was tucking Claire into bed in her new, currently white-walled room that was littered with boxes.

She was still not quite awake, and yet she still had the consciousness to furrow her brows and say, "Daddy? I don't think Mama feels very good."

Two months later and those names still absolutely crumbled his heart and stole his breath away.

"No?" Eric took a seat beside her on the bed for a moment, pushing strands of brown hair back onto the right side of her face and smoothing them behind her ear. "Why's that?"

"She said she was too tired to unpack." Eric chuckled at her perceptiveness – or maybe it was more a sign of Calleigh's single-minded focus on getting their house sorted and organized. "We tried to make her feel better with cuddles and a movie...and then we fell asleep."

"Good job, princess," Eric said, heart melting at the smile that graced her lips just before he pressed his lips to her forehead. "I'll make sure she's okay. I think she's just tired. It's been a big week for us."

"Are we still gonna make my room purple?" She rubbed at her struggling eyes before accepting the stuffed bunny Eric sat next to her – part of her bedtime routine – and tucking it against her side.

"Of course," he promised, brows knitting together a little. Keeping promises to these kids was pretty high up on his list of priorities, and he felt his heart skip a little as he watched her smile again. "The paint is all ready to go in the garage. Get some sleep and we'll start on it tomorrow, okay?"

"Okay." She dutifully closed her eyes, only opening them again to say, "Goodnight."

"Goodnight, Claire," he told her softly as he exited her room, flipping off the light switch and closing the door behind him.

Austin's room down the hall was cracked but not quite closed yet, a detail that amused Eric because as Austin seemed to grow older and more independent by the day, he still seemed to enjoy them coming into his room to say goodnight. Eric slowly pushed the door open, finding Austin already buried beneath the covers in the dark. The light from the hallway briefly illuminated his face, peaceful beneath a mess of curls, and Eric quickly pushed the door nearly closed to keep the light away. Walking over to the bed, he placed his hand on Austin's back and uttered, "Goodnight."

"'Night," Austin sleepily muttered back, and with that Eric slipped from the room, now closing the door behind him.

When he made it back to the living room, he was unsurprised but amused to find Calleigh losing her fight against sleep again. She'd sat up in an attempt to keep herself awake, but her head was resting on her extended arm along the arm of the couch, a few locks of blonde hair spilling from what she'd tucked behind her ear.

He carefully squeezed in behind her, wrapping an arm around her waist to keep her close and kissing the tempting skin of her shoulder that was revealed by her too-big, off-the-shoulder t-shirt.

"Mmm," she mumbled happily, finally lifting her head up to rest her forehead against his cheek. "Hi."

"Hey," he said back, thumb smoothing over her ribs. "Do you need me to carry you up, too?"

"No."

"I love what you've done with the place."

She laughed softly, eyes drifting over her makeshift tv stand which normally would've caused her a fair amount of anxiety. But tonight she didn't really care. Pushing herself up a little further and turning to face him better, she settled in with her back against the arm of the couch, him still mostly on his side.

"I'm exhausted," she said, words drenched in honesty and a little disbelief. She'd been ignoring it for days, but it was finally catching up to her – and so were the implications of how she'd been feeling all week.

He took in her tired but bright eyes and nodded, pressing his lips to her forehead. "It's been a long week and we didn't take time off for the move."

She nodded in acknowledgement, secretly recognizing that if either of them had a reason to be tired, it was him. They'd been moving and unpacking in the evenings, and then he'd started his normal workday hours only to be pulled into an evidence recovery dive just when he was supposed to be leaving. She pressed her lips together, knowing he was beginning to read through her and sense the racing thoughts churning through her mind – the same ones that had accompanied her sudden realization on the drive home when she'd really begun to feel the effects of ignoring her body all week.

"I'm also late... " she told him and he froze, eyes dancing over her features as everything suddenly clicked. This level of exhaustion was out of character for her, but it made sense now.

"Like... _late_ late?" He raised his brows, an amused smile spreading across his lips as he wondered how sure she was.

"Pretty late," she confirmed, nodding slowly as she bit her lip. "I got a test before I picked up the kids and told myself I'd take it if nothing happened by morning."

"You don't want to find out now?" he asked mischievously, urging her on with a stroke of his fingertips up and down her side.

His eager smile triggered one of her own, nearly persuading her, but she'd made up a rule, albeit a rather arbitrary one, and she was sticking to her guns. Part of her still didn't believe it, and that part kept reminding her that cycles and hormones could fluctuate at any time, that this could be nothing at all. That, combined with the fact that her body was craving sleep so strongly she was tempted to close her eyes and lean into him right now, had her set on waiting.

He'd watched the flicker of excitement brighten her eyes, quickly followed by a shadow of doubt, and knew immediately that he wasn't going to push her.

"First thing in the morning," she promised, studying the way he was trying not to smile. "Can we go to bed now?"

Eric looked at her incredulously after he checked his watch. "At eight-thirty?"

"Yes." A yawn overtook her and he watched her fight it off with amusement.

A few minutes later, they'd reached an agreement: Eric sitting in bed with his laptop to finish the paperwork he'd never gotten around to today, Calleigh with her head under several pillows and resting against the crook of his hip. He was reading over notes with one hand, the other around her, smoothing over blonde hair from her temple down to the back of her neck. Whether it was that soothing or she'd just been that tired – probably both – she only lasted a few minutes before her eyes remained closed and her breathing became slow and rhythmic beside him.

He looked down at her, eyes sparkling with a smile that was just beginning to reach his lips. This was definitely unusual. She'd been working long hours for years, and she seemed to have an unlimited supply of energy while he had to pound entirely too many Cuban coffees to keep up. And in all the years he'd known her, and especially the nights they'd spent together, he'd never seen her in bed before at least 9:30. Memories of his sisters during their first trimesters flashed into his mind, showing up to family events haggard and nauseous, and suddenly he just knew.

He also knew that, as his softened eyes kept drifting away from work and onto her, he was in trouble. His weak spot for her was already pretty troublesome, and he was quickly finding her exhaustion – a rare vulnerability – rather adorable. Smoothing his fingers through her hair one more time, he decidedly turned his attention back towards his work as she slept soundly tucked against him.

/~/

Calleigh quietly slipped back between the warm sheets, glancing at the blue numbers that lit up their bedside alarm clock. 4:53 a.m. She'd awoken a few minutes ago and immediately known she wouldn't get back to sleep. For one, she couldn't remember the last time she'd managed eight-and-a-half hours of sleep. Secondly, the moment she was awake and actually feeling like a functioning human being – unlike last night – her mind had started racing and she hadn't been able to wait any longer.

Moving further toward the center of the bed until she found Eric's warm body, she let her hand smooth over his abdomen until her arm could drape over him. Body tucked against his side, she rested her forehead against his cheek in the dim light and pressed her lips to his jaw. He stirred enough to instinctively rest his hand over her arm on his stomach and she smiled at the half-asleep gesture.

"Hey," she said softly, lifting her head to press another light kiss to his face, this time to his cheek. "Eric…"

His half-asleep "mmm" brought another smile to her lips and she slowly slid a knee over him, body straddling his, and as she let her body kiss his, his hands automatically landed on her lower back. The little white tank top and sexy black boyshort panties did little to hide her warm skin from him, tempting him away from sleep and curving his lips into a smile.

"I can't sleep," she told him, chest pressing against his as she dipped down to press her lips against the corner of his mouth. She lingered there, watching his eyes attempt to flutter open in the little slip of light emanating from the bathroom.

"That's what happens when you go to bed at eight," he mumbled, arms tightening to draw her closer as he woke. Despite her current position in rather little clothing, he was still too close to sleep; he closed his eyes again quickly and she swallowed hard.

"I took a test." _That_ had him blinking his eyes back open, adjusting to the mix of darkness and the crack of light spilling in. A mix of hope and adrenaline was pouring into his system now, and his hand encouragingly, imploringly ran up and down her side. "Two, actually…"

A smirk tugged at one corner of his lips. "And?"

She bit her lip, resting her chin on his chest. "I haven't looked yet. I wanted to wait for you."

"Well," he began playfully, shoving another pillow beneath his head and shoulders, then pushing himself up so he was a little more propped up. "I'm up."

She remained there for a moment, resting her head on his chest, eyes mischievously holding his. And then she tipped her chin down, pressing her lips to his skin before she pushed herself out from her cocoon of warm sheets and Eric.

Eric watched her disappear into the bathroom, at the counter that was just out of his sight, and the moments ticked by more like minutes before she emerged again. Pausing to rest her shoulder against the doorway, she pursed her lips together a little to keep a smile at bay. She was failing miserably, and he just knew. His eyes danced with hers imploringly as he fought to keep a hopeful smile from his lips.

She had to clear her throat because it was suddenly full of emotion. "So I guess that separate home office idea is a bust…"

"Yeah?" he asked excitedly, brows raising as he waited for her to confirm what he already knew.

She nodded, quickly pushing off the doorframe and crawling back under the covers with him. His arms enveloped her as she resumed her position atop him, her arms snaking around and under his shoulders as her forehead bumped against his.

"Good thing we didn't start unpacking," he pointed out, a broad grin now lighting up his features.

Calleigh laughed softly. "Sorry we're gonna have to share."

"I'm not," he said amusedly, fingers dipping beneath her shirt in search of warm, bare skin.

She paused, retracing her words, and a smile clung to her lips. "...Neither am I."

Tilting her head, she captured his lips with hers, hearts racing with emotion and anticipation as they both let the news settle. His hands trailed up her side, skimming over her ribs as his lips slid against hers. When they parted, she bit her lip, eyes brimming with excitement as they held his.

Despite everything, Eric found himself fighting a yawn, reaching his hand up to cover his mouth for a moment before it returned to her side. With amused but tired eyes, he glanced at the numbers on the bedside clock and shook his head.

"I'm gonna have to talk to this kid about your sleep schedule though cause I don't know if I can do eight more months of this."

Calleigh smiled apologetically.

"You can go back to sleep," she ushered, although her wandering hands that were currently gliding over his shoulder had him thinking of something much, much different than sleep. Further tempting him it'd be worth his while to stay awake, she pressed her lips to his jaw, beginning a slow trail of kisses to his ear. By the time she'd made it down to his throat, she felt the rumble of his chuckle against her lips.

"Maybe I'm not that tired," he said, words dripping with amusement and desire as his fingertips ran along her spine.

She grinned against his skin, slowly shifting her weight so that their hips kissed and eliciting a soft groan of approval from his lips.

"You might have to get used to some early mornings," she mumbled against his neck. Pausing to meet his eyes, his hands picked up when her exploring had stopped, palms skimming down her waist.

"I can't wait," he said honestly, smiling as he urged her back down and their lips melded together again.


End file.
